It has been nearly four years since Linda Minix lost her husband Joe.
"I would cry a lot," Linda said.
When Joe was diagnosed with ALS, Linda knew that her time with her husband was limited. Despite that, she never gave up home...the couple fought to the very end.
"I'm sitting here saying 'It was joyful!' But it was hard," Linda said. "It was hard to see him go down, to see him walking with a cane, then with a walker, then in a wheelchair, and then can't talk."
Linda's story is very similar to many others battling ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, and impacts 18,000 people a year.
While that number may seem low to some, to those who have to live through it, being one of the 18,000 is difficult; knowing what lies ahead.
Even that could not break the bond that Linda and Joe had, together, they raised awareness about ALS, hosted fundraisers, and worked with others on treatment and research.
"I can't really take credit for the strength that I had when I took care of him, it was strictly prayer."
Not long after Joe's death, Linda said she remembered sitting on the front porch not knowing what she would do without him.
"You have to get up, because if you don't, you will grow old sitting right here," Linda remembered telling herself.
She had to continue living her life, because that is what Joe would have wanted her to do.
"Your trials and tribulations are not going to last, it's not going to last," Linda said. "Joy comes in the morning. If you are going through it, don't let your suffering be in vain."
While there is not a day that goes by that Linda does not think of husband, she is continuing to live the life they built together and being that support for others who may be walking the same journey.
