Page 74 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2018- Online Magazine

George Betty Miller
Betty’s Last First
by Scott Herron
n 2010, Betty came to stay at the
Porch Swing. She was suffering
Ifrom advanced Parkinson’s
Disease - unresponsive and
paralyzed. Her prognosis was six
to ten days. Betty had my heart the
moment I met her, and I felt moved
to give her special care. She no
longer had use of her hands and had
to be spoon fed. While I was feeding
her, I would make sure her glasses
were clean. I’d place a magazine
in her lap, turn lights on and open
the shutters, and I would talk and
talk and talk. I would tell her what
the weather was like and chat about
anything and everything. After
a while, she started to respond,
74 Lubbock Senior Link
Date
sometimes only with her eyes,
but answering just the same.
Although still paralyzed, she was
interacting.
Her dedicated husband, George,
noticed the changes. It had been
ages since he had been out with
his lovely wife. He wished aloud
that she could be well enough for
him to take her out to dinner again.
It was during the busy Christmas
season, but I made an appointment
with Matt, the manager at Outback
Steakhouse, to ask if there was any
way they could open an hour early
so that George and Betty could
have a private date. Matt was not
only happy
to oblige but
enthusiastic.
When the
day came,
we bundled
Betty up and
carried her
by Wheelcare
Transport to
the restaurant
for a date
night with the love of her life. Betty
and George’s daughter, Karen,
brought George to Outback, telling
him that she needed to pick up some
gift certificates. When they arrived,
he wondered why I was there. I told
him I had someone waiting for him
and led him around the corner. The
restaurant staff had set up a large
round candle-lit table, and they had
made a large Christmas card just
for them. George was speechless at
the beautiful sight. As the evening
progressed, George told us the story
of how he and Betty had met as well
as many more memories from their
early life together. Betty sat wide-
eyed, just drinking it all in.
The restaurant had made special
desserts for them that were not even
on the menu. It was an amazing and
wonderful evening for everyone.
This was the Porch Swing Christmas
gift to George and Betty, but when I
went to pay the bill, Matt shook his