I am Kaitlin Laing
a family member of someone we've lost to ALS,
living with ALS,
someone who cared for a person we've lost to ALS
Iowa
Know that you are not alone.
I was 18 and just starting my first day of university when my mom was diagnosed with ALS. Now I’m 22, and this week was the second anniversary of her death.
Caring for my mother, constantly worrying about her condition, and not knowing how to manage all of my emotions made that one of the hardest periods of my life and I can only imagine what it must have been like for her.
I remember feeling so, so alone– whether at college or while caring for her during the summer of 2018 after my freshman year had concluded. Nothing can prepare you for that; the finger grips, the “Hey Siri” never being the same again, figuring out how to maneuver your parent back up to their feet or onto the bed. Know that you are not alone. Better days are ahead. Use this to find joy in small things (that’s not always easy, but it can help sometimes).
