30 Days of MD: Caregiver Appreciation

by Ralph Yaniz | September 14, 2019

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Day 14 of #30DaysofMD Introducing Karen Cole: Topic: Caregiver Appreciation On September 8, 2019 my husband Chuck and I will be celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary. Chuck is a wonderful husband to me and father to our daughters Lauren and Shannon. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Chuck because he plays an additional role in my life….being my selfless caregiver. I was diagnosed with Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy in 1996 – 12 years after we were married and 2 years after the birth of our 2nd daughter. My subtype, LGMD 2i, was discovered in 2015. Chuck has been by my side every day to make me laugh, wipe my tears, and encourage me to keep fighting. Chuck has not only provided a great life and home for our family, he loves me and cares for me from morning until night. He lifts me up with the ins and outs of living with LGMD…. He lifts me from a chair. He lifts me from the toilet. He lifts me from the floor. He helps me in and out of bed. He helps me in and out of the shower. He helps me in and out of the car. He is always there to lift up my spirits and he gets me out of jams that occur daily when dealing with my ongoing mobility challenges. Caregivers come from all walks of life. Anyone can be a caregiver; but it takes someone special to care. I totally rely on Chuck who meets each obstacle and challenge head on with love and patience. As the LGMD progresses, we are constantly strategizing our next move and utilizing more and more adaptive equipment to make my life easier and fuller. I am lucky to have Chuck in my life as my husband, friend, and caregiver. I can’t image being on this journey without him. Take a moment every day to thank your caregiver(s).

A post shared by MDNewsToday (@mdnewstoday) on Sep 14, 2019 at 5:04am PDT

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About the Author

Ralph Yaniz Ralph served as the executive director of the Florida Society of Clinical Oncology Foundation in 2016, helping to establish the organization and begin serving the community. Prior to that he worked for AARP, where he was a regional vice president for a decade and, prior to that, the Illinois State Director for four years. In his capacity as the Illinois State Director, Ralph led AARP Illinois in major legislative victories between 2002 and 2006, including the Older Adult Services Act in 2004. Before going to AARP, Ralph was executive director of the Berwyn Cicero Council on Aging. The mission of the organization is to assist adults over 60 in maintaining their independent living with the highest quality of life. He holds BS and MA degrees in psychology from Loyola University of Chicago and worked as a licensed clinical professional counselor in Illinois for three decades. He also holds an MBA degree from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Ralph has served on numerous boards for nonprofit organizations and in 2018 founded the LGMD2L Foundation to help look for treatments and cures for his form of muscular dystrophy.