When Gerrie Hanke's mom was diagnosed with ALS, her body started to deteriorate as the disease took hold. It was only a matter of time before she lost the use of her legs, then her arms. She was only able to move her eyeballs, as she was almost totally paralyzed. Her weight plummeted from 100 pounds to a mere 79 pounds.
Gerrie hired Maria Sepulchre to help her to care for her mother. The at-home nurse took her duties seriously and always went above and beyond for her patient.
Gerrie took note of Maria's behavior in the final months of her mother's life. The nurse would do her nails, her hair — in short, treat her like she was her own mother, with care and tenderness. How she treated the sick mother brought some comfort to the daughter and her family.
The elderly woman passed away, but that wasn't the end of the relationship between Maria and Gerrie.
The grieving woman nominated Maria for CBS 5's Pay it Forward program, hoping that she would be able to reward her for her kindness during the difficult time.
The program offered the at-home nurse $500 for giving this family invaluable comfort — certainly a well-deserved reward! The nurse has become so close to her patient's family that she is practically one of its members, now.
Please SHARE if you know that nurses' hard work mean the world to patients and their families!
