Ten years ago, Kathy Felt, of Sandy, Utah, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and, soon after that, her health started to deteriorate to the point that she couldn’t even get into bed on her own. It was clear that she needed help, and by what she gathered, the only logical, long-term solution would be for her to go to a nursing home.
But it appears that life had other plans for this lovely lady. Before she moved into one, she received the kindest gift from her neighbors. It was nothing more than a list of names, but it proved life-saving for Ms. Felt in the long run. The list had the names of sixty male neighbors on it, who were volunteering to ring her bell every evening, in pairs, and help her get into bed.
How did the woman feel about this turn of events? Definitely grateful and moved by their action.
“I cried, just like now,” she told CBS Sunday Morning. “I was so moved. This is my miracle.”
But how does this work? Kathy Felt’s aides explain:
“Take off her slippers, take off her socks. One guy gets on one side and one guy gets on the other side. Lift her up, put her on the bed.”
These guys take care of even minor details. They know exactly how her pillows have to be set up, place the phone next to her, and then, when she’s safe and all tucked in, they wave goodnight and go home.
In the morning, Felt’s sons and an aide help her, but in the evening, her kind neighbors perform this nightly ritual seven days a week for more than ten years.
And that’s not all. The most surprising thing is that over the years, instead of having fewer neighbors volunteering to help Kathy, the numbers have gone up significantly to the point that it’s hard to get everybody a time! If that’s not the perfect community to live in, then we don’t know what is!
But, of course, not everyone started off this journey with a smile on their face. There were men who volunteered as a response to “peer pressure”, in the sense that they would look bad if they didn’t. Some felt awkward, others admitted they weren’t excited at first, especially because it was a woman they would care for. And then there’s John Keller, who admitted he didn’t want to do it at first.
“I had always considered myself as a good person, Christian. Then I realized maybe I’m not. I just wanted to change. I wanted to be a better person,” he said.
It appears that, after all these years, the simple act of lifting this woman and putting her to bed has indeed made him a better person. As he said, it’s a reminder that “burdens are sometimes blessings in disguise”.
You can watch the video with the detailed story by clicking play in the video below.
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