Once you open up to the idea that there just might still be some good in the world, and in your life, you begin to see it. It may seem small and insignificant, at least at first. But if it’s good, notice it. Acknowledge it. Give thanks for it.
~Patty Blake
We’d like to take a minute to tell you about an amazing woman, whom many of us at MDA were privileged to know.
Patty Blake brought joy to the lives of those she touched, with her warmth, wit and positive spirit. She was a wife to Alan and a mother to two daughters. She also was a daughter, an aunt, a sister and a friend.
After learning in 2012 that she had ALS, Patty shared thoughts about life, faith and her experiences with ALS in hopes that others could benefit from the things she had learned in a blog, OK…So Far. Patty considered blogging to be a form of therapy, and, after losing the use of her hands and voice in spring 2014, she continued to post her thoughts, typing with a Tobii eye-tracking communication device.
In addition, she wrote several articles for MDA’s Quest Magazine, participated in MDA ALS awareness campaigns and regularly contributed blog posts to ALSN Blogs and Strongly.
Patty saw life’s “unexpected detours” as “opportunities to appreciate the scenic route.” She found joy in her faith and her family, in love and goals and birthdays and music. She was grateful for the technology that allowed her to communicate and maintain mobility when ALS took those freedoms away. In a journey that was at times unpleasant, “full of sharp turns, rough patches and bumpy stretches” she focused on “heart-to-heart moments shared with precious people, with or without words.”
In a blog post written Dec. 15, 2015, Patty wrote:
So much more to say.
But the things that matter most have been said.
Patty was admitted to hospice in February 2015. “Hospice is all about comfort and living fully as a life winds down,” she wrote in her blog — and she continued to do just that until she passed away peacefully in her sleep May 18, 2016.
She will be remembered for her positive attitude, honesty, warmth and joy.
Read more of Patty’s words by following the link below.
