One of the best parts of my work is meeting people whose lives quietly inspire us. Their strength comes from gratitude, faith, and endurance—just like our longtime client, whom I’ll call “Donna.”
Donna’s life has been filled with challenges that would break most people. Yet even at age 85, she radiates warmth, resilience, and grace.
Polio at Age 7
- Donna had a relatively normal childhood, despite her parents’ divorce and her mother’s remarriage.
- Then at age seven she contracted polio and has needed a wheelchair ever since — for 78 years.
- At age 10, her stepfather, unable to handle her needs, sent her to a state-run boarding school in Chicago. She lived there until she graduated.
- As a young woman in the 1950s—decades before the ADA—Donna moved into her own apartment and found administrative jobs at a hospital and a car dealership.
- She met Bill, and after ten years of marriage, they welcomed TWINS—raising two infants from a wheelchair! Donna became a stay-at-home mom. The daughters have grown into devoted adults who stay active in their parents’ lives.
- About seven years ago, Bill was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Donna became his primary caregiver.
She has often said that her strong faith in God is what keeps her going.
Donna is a client I love talking with. Others do too. She’s someone our caregivers confide in. Their problems seem small compared to what she’s faced.
And yet she listens with kindness and compassion, never judgment. She never complains—she simply listens, encourages, and loves.
She reminds us all what true strength looks like.
By John Trompeter Owner/Operator, ComForCare of Wheaton