DSC # 110 Your Hero

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 Digitally Sweet Challenges

the Theme is 

Your Hero

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My Hero, of course it is my Mum, a stylish, elegant, lovely lady who worked hard throughout her life, she was still working in her early 70's.  A fit, beautiful woman, who lived through hardship and still maintained her lovely smile.  

Due to what I call negligence, after a knee replacement, she had to have an amputation above the knee when she was 83.  The hours after the operation, one of my brother's and I entered her room imagining she would be very ill, in fact we didn't think she would survive the operation, but, we should have known better, with the temerity of this remarkable woman, she asked us "What have I missed today?".

Within 24 hours she was travelling around the ward in a wheelchair and never looked back.  She didn't take to a prosthetic limb so lived the next 8 years doing everything in her "little flat" (as she called it) in her wheelchair, on her own. She had carers come in, but they only went there for a chat as she had already done what they were supposed to do.  I was working full time and did what I could but, she insisted that I had enough to do than look after her!  She loved going out in the car each Sunday when she would tell hubby - "follow your nose" when asked where she would like to go. It didn't matter where, she just loved the countryside and the sea.

There is one story I have to recount, which I think shows how she loved to be centre of attention too.

 When she was 89, she told everyone she was 90 - just in case she didn't reach 90!  as she wanted to have a celebration, she certainly did, with at least a hundred cards, she was thrilled and couldn't stop smiling. One of her friends said to me "she doesn't look 90 does she?" I had to agree, what else could I do?  I didn't lie though, as she certainly didn't look 90! We, the family, had to laugh though.  

When her real 90th birthday came around, my youngest brother planned her 90th birthday celebration, which took place at the Celtic Manor Hotel in Newport, (NATO have been there recently) he arranged surprises all night, with over 100 family and friends invited from all over the UK and family from the USA, a Welsh Male Voice Choir from her home village singing for her, amongst other things, and fireworks  to finish the most memorable evening.  The evening is still talked about within the extended and close family.

She saw her 90th birthday and her 91st.  The Minister at her funeral also regaled the story of her twice over 90th birthday, which had people nodding and smiling in recognition, this was my MUM.

After sending the layout to the family, one of her granddaughters sent this reply which I thought I had to add.
"I miss her so desperately, and as I get older I miss her even more !  She was such a "Force" in my life, and maybe, some of her style did rub off on me ! haha
One thing Nana did,  which we all took for granted, was that she loved her children and family so much, it was at an exclusion of everybody else, we WERE HER LIFE !  A very selfless act, that we all took for granted, as she was always there for us, and especially for me!"