Fearless Caregiver Profile: KARI GASTON

How did you become the caregiver for your loved one?

I became the sole caregiver for my mom when she was diagnosed with ALS. Shortly after being diagnosed she lost all mobility and it was extremely hard for her to do daily functions.

Has your relationship changed with the loved one that you are caring for? If so how?

Our relationship has always been great but now we are even closer. It does get hard to be only her daughter sometimes because I'm always concerned.

What is the hardest thing about being a caregiver and the most rewarding thing?

The hardest thing is seeing her struggle and the strain on my marriage. Most rewarding is seeing her smile and wake up happy each day.

What advice would you give to other caregivers?

Take all the help you can get! We do not have any help and it makes it very hard on the whole family.

In ten words or less, what has caregiving taught you?

Unconditional patience and compassion

Describe a situation where being a Fearless Caregiver helped you succeed?

Staying on top of her health had helped us keep her out of the hospital and that's awesome!!

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Fearless Caregiver Profile: Join us as we celebrate Fearless Caregivers sharing personal stories as we care for our loved ones. Read this week’s Fearless Caregiver Profile and feel free to add your profile as well, so we can learn from and share with our fellow caregivers.