Ruth grew up in the 1920s with two sisters in a loving home in New York. A peacekeeper by nature, she was a strong, independent, and passionate woman. Dedicated to making a difference in the world, she worked as an occupational therapist and devoted her working career to helping others. She married at the young age of nineteen and had two children in a loving and supportive family environment, with only the occasional volatile dynamics.

Everything was going well until amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) entered the family's lives. ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease,...