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Pam Rayer
Hatteberg's People
Reporter: Larry Hatteberg
September 5, 2004--“He is the most wonderful man I have every head about. I have been so blessed and had the opportunity to love.”
When Pam Rayer talks about her husband Randy, it’s real love. |
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“To love him and to honor him. God knew when we were dating he was the man I needed to get me through this later on in our years.”
The “This” that Pam refers to is A-L-S or Lou Gerig’s Disease. She has a slow moving form of this almost always-fatal disease for over four years.
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“I didn’t even know what A-L-S was and then after
he (the doctor) explained it to me, I said OK what’s the treatment. He said, there is no treatment. I said, what’s the cure. He said, there is no cure. I said, how long do I have to live? He said, two to five years.” |
In an instant everything changed. You know her husband, Randy Rayer by his business…Bearden’s Stained Glass and Gifts on West Kellogg. What many don’t know is that now much of his life is not his business, but instead taking care of his wife Pam.
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| “You don’t have the goals, you don’t have the future, you just want to make sure that today is hopeful and today she is happy. She just amazes me that her fight for life and her love for life is still so strong.” |
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This deeply religious family has many friends who have helped her through the illness over the past four years….recently they gathered and Pam shared…her life, her future.
“I don’t know whether it’s good to leave this earth fast like a car wreck or something you know, and die quickly or to get a diagnosis and know that you have so much time. I think I prefer it this way because it has given me such an opportunity to make memories.”
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Those memories are in the form of books to each of her four daughters. Today Tiffiney and Crystal are by her side, the other two are in school.
“They are my rocks. My girls and my husband are right there picking up the pieces helping me think positive.”
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These books contain all the information she always wanted to tell her daughters in case she can’t.
“I needed to give advice to my beautiful daughters, in case there was a time I couldn’t talk. I’m there with them and I hope and pray my time on earth is many more years. I want to see that first grandbabies…but don’t hurry…(laughter)”
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“He (my husband) is my rock right along with Christ and this is how I get through this, I’m telling. So girls find a man like daddy. Ambitious and good-hearted and loves God. He is wonderful.” |
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