Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Ted and Norma: Promises to Keep

On October 3, Ted Distler and his lovely wife, Norma, will celebrate 50 years of marriage. I admire Ted for his devotion to Norma and how he has held her hand and guided her through the quagmire of early-onset Alzheimer’s.

Besides being a devoted husband, Ted honors Norma by being a tireless volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Association Mid-Missouri Chapter. We met in 1999 when Ted was at the helm of the Jefferson City Memory Walk and I coordinated the Sedalia Memory Walk. Ted was a formidable fundraiser, and I made a valiant effort to stay in the competition. Although we squared off like championship boxers, we were cheerleaders for each other as we joined forces for a common cause. Our ultimate goal was to help support families facing Alzheimer’s and a cure for their loved ones, and our loved ones. We knew our local Chapter was providing that support for Mid-Missouri families.

Ted and I met for coffee one day and worked on a story for Alzheimer’s Anthology of Unconditional Love. Norma and Ted’s story of unconditional love, courage, and devotion is posted on the Mid-Missouri Chapter’s website at http://www.alz.org/mid-missouri/in_my_community_17573.asp.

Congratulations, Ted and Norma! I wish you blessings and love with each step of your journey.

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"Promises to Keep" published in Alzheimer's Anthology of Unconditional Love

1 comment:

David Schantz said...

I'd like to congratulate Ted and Norma, 50 Years! That is great.

Do you by any chance know how many confirmed cases of Alzheimer's there are in Missouri?

I've read that our local paper, the St. Joseph News-Press has a new supplement magazine, "Kin". It will be about families. One of the topics they plan to cover will be health. They have ask for ideas. I'm thinking about suggesting they do something on Alzheimer's here in Saint Joseph.

God Bless America, God Save The Republic.