The Burberry Overcoat

My dad had Peripheral Neuritis for several years that steadily got worse, for 10 years he became confined to a wheelchair.  He lost the feeling in his legs and feet and his overall health took a downturn.  My parents were living in an assisted living facility, and it became apparent that he needed to go into a nursing home.  So, they were separated.  My dad went to a nursing home and my mother was able to find an assisted living home nearby, so she only had a 10-minute walk to visit him.

About 6 months later I flew over to England to visit them in their new homes and stayed in a B&B close by.  My dad’s doctor told me that he expected my father to live no more than 3 months.  My mother gave all his clothes away (except pajamas and slippers) to the Salvation Army. 

6 weeks after I returned home to the States my dad phoned me and told me that he had feelings in some of his toes!  This was amazing and he went on to go into complete remission.  With the help of aqua therapy, he started walking again!  Now he had no clothes or shoes and friends and others who heard his story gave him a full wardrobe.  One kind gentleman gave him a new Burberry overcoat worth over $1,000.

My dad became the first patient ever to walk out of the nursing home alive because he was now well enough to live in an assisted living home and my dad & mother were reunited.  My dad lived for another 6 years, passing at the age of 88 years of age.  My mother gave me his Burberry overcoat.

The moral to this story is simple “You never know”.  Anyone of us could be dead tomorrow but if you think you are going to die you might or you might not!  Always be positive and wake up each day with gratefulness and be happy that you have been given another day of life to live.