My older sister and I eventually decided to involve our aunt to help figure out a way to save her. We got together, talked about it, and approached my mother – she was barely responsive to us, so we decided we would get help for her regardless. The next day, my mother had a massive heart attack and suffered permanent brain damage.

This was in 2013. The years since have and continue to be a lot of work navigating my mother’s care in a long term facility, and making sure we maintain some type of family. Some of the more difficult work for me has been coming to terms with my mother’s pain, instead of just focusing on my own.

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