Life is already challenging enough for those diagnosed with ALS and their families. But add COVID to the mix and those challenges get even worse.
Several decades ago, Randy Wetzel met his wife, Debbie, on a blind date. The two have been inseparable ever since.
“We were set up with some friends and just kind of got together and met one night and have seen each other every day since. We’ve been married 35 years,” Randy Wetzel said.
The devoted parents have raised three kids together and Debbie Wetzel had a successful professional career.
“She was very active. She was the executive assistant to the president of Parker Hannifin. Her career was going great. Our kids were older, most of them were out of the house, but life changed.”
The change came when Debbie Wetzel was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS, a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
Debbie Wetzel said her health and way of life started to deteriorate.
“I wouldn’t wish this disease on anyone. Not my worst enemy,” Randy Wetzel said. “She lives 24/7 in an electric reclining chair, she can’t move anything. She can’t scratch her head, she needs help with blowing her nose, we have to feed her I mean, everything. She was a totally independent woman, now she’s a totally dependent woman.”
He said this life-altering change became even more challenging with COVID.
“Once a week, someone would make something for us to eat. Come by, sit and chat for 15 minutes and gave Debbie, my wife, something to look forward to. But once COVID hit, we had to shut the door and shut that down. So the only interaction she has with the outside world pretty much is either through the television or through texts and phone calls,” he said.
Gov. Mike Dewine recently announced that those with ALS are eligible for the next phase of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Cleveland Clinic Dr. Rebecca Kuenzler said this will be a major help for those who need it since COVID has created serious difficulties for families battling ALS in Ohio.
“These are people who have breathing problems, who have speech and swallowing problems, and they would be at higher risk of having a bad outcome if they were to get COVID as an infection,” Kuenzler said.
And for Randy Wetzel, the vaccine allows his wife to see family, as she continues to battle the deadly disease.
“It’s going to give us some freedom again. Freedom to allow people to come into the home and see us. My kids haven’t been able to come in. We’ve had an occasional time when my grandson has been able to come, but that’s with masks and there’s been no hugging and no interaction,” he said.