De Yip Louie (Continued)
by Frances Mai-Ling
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| Wedding Day - Photo Taken by Ed Varga |
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My mom loved gardening and birds, so we created a garden around and about the house that was certified by the National Wildlife Association. She created a bird habitat and bought six hummingbird feeders in the shape of strawberries and apples and strategically placed them in certain parts of the yard. We have two huge picture windows. One window faces a park overlooking the Nippersink Creek where our dining area is located. When we eat our meals we can look out and bird watch. And my mom sits to my father’s left and tells him there’s a cardinal here or a yellow finch there as she points to a hummingbird feeder in the general area. This has helped with his vision and perception along with his neglect. My mom always sat on his left side so that it would help train him to always look to his left.
Four years ago she started to get my father in the habit of writing her letters every night after dinner to recall his day. He calls them “love letters” and looks forward to writing them every night. Not only is it good for his processing and memory but it also works on left neglect. After he writes his letter he takes a walk to the “Magic Room” to get some after-supper exercise.
I am a pioneering Alternative-Classical Pianist; it is a genre I created for the music I compose. The past 10 years I’ve been working as an Ambassador for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. I was one of the earliest artists pioneering the concept of using my music to promote awareness and to educate the public about heart disease and stroke. Through my efforts of promoting heart disease and stroke awareness on my CDs, raising money through producing events, and donating a portion for research and education programs, I caught the eye of the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association nationally and regionally. In 2006 my family was honored with a Hero Award.
Any shows I have ever done, my parents have come with me. It is considered recreational therapy for my father. However, he thinks of it as his show.
My father turned 84 this past December. This July, he will be 12 years post-stroke. Since all that has happened, he is able to walk around the house with a quad cane and brace on his left leg. Outside the house he uses a wheelchair.
My mom passed away May of 2009. A month prior to her passing they celebrated 37 years of marriage. I’m now the primary caregiver. In September 2009, I married a wonderful man name Eric. My husband helps me with things around the house, and we continue to do many of the things my mom started, keeping with the same routine.
We miss my mom greatly. She was a huge force with my father’s recovery and her amazing ideas of therapy and her help for my father along the way has made his every-day living better. To this day, everyone is amazed with how much he regained and how healthy he his. They are amazed by how two women were able to take someone with a severe stroke home and give him the best life possible. Many say that it was a miracle that he is as far long as he is. It takes two people to care for my father. My mom and I worked hard together to give my father the best care and comforts of home.
A lot of credit goes to my mom. If there is anything anyone can learn from these life lessons, it is that love, devotion, and support are most important for survival to anyone with a stroke.
For more information, including other articles, videos of the magic act and where to purchase my CDs visit www.mai-ling.net
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