Like millions of other Americans, Kelli is living her life and simultaneously battling a chronic disease. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a progressive disease affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, eventually rendering many people to a wheelchair. While this presents many limitations in a person’s ability to engage in recreational activities, a volunteer with the INTEGRIS Health Hospice named Paige made it her objective to see one of Kelli’s dreams fulfilled. (story continues below)
Paige recently shared, “A little over a year ago, I was given the greatest gift of meeting my beloved friend Kelli and her family. I had just begun as a hospice volunteer with INTEGRIS Health and was told by the coordinator that she had paired me with someone very special. The moment I walked into Kelli’s home, I was welcomed with her genuine smile that lit up the room.”
During one of Paige’s first visits, she learned of Kelli’s deep desire to enjoy a ride in a hot air balloon. With the physical restrictions of her disease, Kelli never thought she would be able to take that dream flight in the Oklahoma sky. However, Paige was up for the challenge. Focused on her goal, Paige was able to find a company that would accommodate Kelli’s medical needs and wheelchair accessibility. After six months and multiple failed attempts due to weather, fantasy became reality.
Kelli and Paige met the wonderful people from the balloon company and watched as they prepared the ride and filled the balloon with hot air. Soon, the time came for Kelli and Paige to enter the basket, ascend into the skies, and experience a beautiful, peaceful sunset balloon ride – smiling the entire time.
A.L.S. is a disease for which there is no cure, but volunteers like Paige make dreams come true regardless of the limitations. She is the epitome of a volunteer who goes above and beyond (quite literally!) to provide experiences of joy to our patients with chronic disease.
INTEGRIS Health shared this story in light of National Chronic Disease Day. To learn more about A.L.S. and ways to join the fight, please visit https://www.als.org/.
