In Memory of a Young Mother with ALS

Baby bib made by Rhoda

It has been thirty years since my friend Rhoda died of ALS -- Lou Gehrig's disease.  She left behind her husband and two little boys, Wes (5 years old) and Adam (7 years old).

Rhoda was a member of our feminist group, Evangelical Women's Caucus, and another member was Diane, Rhoda's best friend.   

When the group gave me a baby shower in 1982, Rhoda made a little white bib on which she had embroidered "EWC" and the feminist symbol with a dove inside the circle (EWC's logo).  My baby turned out to be a girl, Roz, my first feminist-to-be.  

We all grieved when Rhoda was diagnosed with ALS shortly after the birth of Wes.  As her muscles deteriorated, she became wheel-chair bound and eventually lost the ability to swallow.

Diane helped Rhoda and her husband cope with doctor visits and care.  After Rhoda died, Diane helped to raise the boys and still is grandmother to their kids today, always wishing that Rhoda could hug them and be proud of them. 

Besides being a feminist in a conservative church, Diane was then a computer programmer for IBM.  I chose her as godmother for my second daughter.

We have experienced so many losses in 2020 with the Covid-19 pandemic.  May we wear our masks, avoid gatherings, and always remember that each person we meet is a treasure as Rhoda was.