The day the multiple sclerosis diagnosis came was foreboding. She had thought for years that one day Agent Orange would catch up to him. Hadn’t PTSD been enough? Their life was about to turn upside down. The family of five faced eating in a soup kitchen and living in a one-room cabin. He became the homebound they used to visit, and she became a constant caregiver.

His life progressed to total dependence. The children’s lives were altered. They became vital supporters in the midst of it all. Home schooled through it all, their characters were shaped as they proceeded with countless interruptions. Therapists and aides walked through the doors. Days were altered by clinic and hospital visits.

Others had bowed to this experience. It ended in broken homes and terminated marriages. The family came through and learned that the only way to the other side of pain in through the pain.

This is a true story of hardship and endurance. It is one of humor and tears. It is a story of heartfelt search for strength and perseverance.