#ALSSharingstories

Remembering Vi Jones-Medusky: A Pioneer Planner for an ALS Residence for Hawaii

As we were adjourning from last Tuesday’s Regular Monthly BOD Meeting, Ronaele Whittington, brought up Violet Jones-Medusky. “Didn’t Vi pass away in late March?” Ronaele mused.  Honestly, I can’t remember – I have been in many funerals of friends who have passed with ALS in the almost 40 years I’ve been involved with ALS in Hawaii. As memorable as Vi was – and should be in matters ALS in Hawaii – there have been just too many deaths to cram…

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Rita Melville Alarcon: “… Breastless” But SO MUCH more!

In 2015, Rita’s mom, Patricia, started experiencing slurred speech and progressive weakness. Living in Hawaii while her children were in the mainland, Patricia kept her health concerns to herself. When she could no longer keep it a secret, her disability had gone much further along.  When they learned, Rita and her siblings flailed around in shock. Eventually, they were able to negotiate among themselves the best way they could care for Mom, considering many factors, not the least of which…

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A FRONTLINE NURSE’S EXPERIENCE WITH DAD’S ALS

May 13, 2020, Kailua, HI.   Norgen Orpilla Dalit was an experienced nurse from the Philippines when she came to the US in 1991. Her older sister, also a nurse, had sent her to nursing school, for which Norgen has remained specially thankful. While in the Philippines, she worked in the OR and OB-GYN Labor and Delivery. Prior to finally settling in the US, she first detoured to Saudi Arabia, becoming part of the huge nursing force recruited from the…

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