Our Story

For over 26 years, we called a quiet corner of rural Northern New Jersey home, tucked into the woods on a few acres.  Our spacious home was more than enough for the three of us: my husband Hutch (John as his family calls him), our son Christopher, and me.  It took work to keep it up, lots of blood, sweat and tears went into our home, but we loved what we built. Our story took a turn in the spring of 2016.   I was out to lunch with my parents when my son, Christopher called. "Dad fell a couple of times and is now in the emergency room". I rushed to the hospital, over an hour away, and found Hutch  very agitated and confused, insisting he didn't belong there. After a few tests, they admitted him. I stayed with him that night, trying to calm his fears and reassure him he was ok, but I was wrong. Within the next couple of days, he began losing the ability to move.  First slowly, then rapidly until soon he couldn't speak and then he couldn't breathe on his own....

Hospital #1 By the second day in the first hospital, Hutch was declining quickly.  T he doctors wanted to run tests on him but he refused.  He was scared, disoriented, and already losing the ability to speak.  Clearly, I knew he needed those tests.  I begged the doctors to let me consent for him.  After all, I was his wife and he was barely able to communicate.  They told me no unless he became completely incapable of making his own medical decision. They could not let me make that decision for him.   That night Christopher and I went home - we were totally drained, numb and exhausted.  It was May 1st, Christopher's birthday was the next day.  We never expected the call that came in.  At 11:30 pm, the hospital told us that Hutch just coded - his heart had stopped. They asked for my permission to revive him and move ahead with the tests. I said yes....My son and I sat on his bed, hugging each other and crying.  The weight of tha...

Sponge baths. They served their purpose, but only for so long. We needed a real solution, a way for Hutch to shower with dignity and comfort. So, the hunt began. Our first attempt was a Craigslist find: a portable shower. Picture this: a basic, utilitarian setup in our kitchen. A thick, bendable rubber mat formed the base, allowing us to wheel his chair right in. PVC pipes and shower curtains created a makeshift enclosure. A small pump whisked away the water, draining it into the kitchen sink. And a long shower hose with a gentle spray, sourced from Lowe's, completed the ensemble. It wasn't glamorous, but it worked. But we knew we needed something better. One of the first major modifications we made to our New Jersey home was a proper roll-in shower. Thanks to a recommendation from our community newsletter, we found a fantastic contractor. He expertly removed the old tub and replaced it with a tiled, roll-in shower. What a difference! It was a world away from our kitchen contra...

  We sold our home, Christopher and his girlfriend Amy, rented a house next door, and we decided to pursue our dream and buy a place in Florida.  Little did we know what was to come. Hutch's cousin's retired to a little community in south Jersey and spoke to us time and time again about buying there. Ok, I wasn't retired yet and wasn't too keen on living in a 55+ community, but as a little time went by, it looked more and more appealing (easier - I should say).  Cousin Bob sold us on a very cute little two bedroom home on one of the lakes in this community!  A couple of months later, we headed down to Florida with my parents.  While stopping at a Walmart one day, we saw a couple in a golf cart.  How cool is that?  We followed them around the corner to an adorable, little community, with a pool!  As we drove through, people stopped and waved at us, some stopped to chat with us and told us what a great place it was.  The next day, we stopped at...

We're continuing to share our journey with GBS. Check back weekly for updates!