BUT DID YOU NEED JUST AN ATTENDANT OR DID YOU NEED A NURSE PRACTITIONER?  

You know what? That’s amazing because with mine you would think that but as long as you are able as long as you’re willing to learn then you can be my attendant.  

WITHOUT ANY KIND OF MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE?  

No, you don’t need the medical knowledge –  

BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT SICK, RIGHT!  

I’m not sick! And the other thing is when I am sick and if I get really sick then we call 911 and they take me in and they figure out what’s wrong with me.  

SO HOW DID YOU GET TO DEBBIE? HOW DID YOU FIND EACH OTHER?  

Well as I said this other lady gave us Debbie’s name and it was my sister Beth that most of it and she called and Debbie said yes I’ll come.  

SHE SAID YES I’LL COME ON THE TELEPHONE? SHE CALLED HER IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND THAT’S A LEAP OF FAITH ISN’T IT?  

Well, that’s what I said to Beth and it was uh one and half hour to two hour drive from the boat to where I was living at that time. And I said Beth, these women come over here, you pick her up, you don’t know what she looks like, she doesn’t know what you look like and they come into a home without even knowing what would be there and I did, I said Debbie afterwards I said Debbie how or what?  

She well I got in I got on the boat and I said if I don’t like then I’ll just tell them I don’t like it I want to go back.  

AND WHAT ABOUT YOU? YES YOU’RE IN NEED, YOU NEED SOMEBODY TO HELP YOU BUT LIVE IN THE HOUSE YOU KNOW IF SOMEONE WALKS IN THE DOOR AND RIGHT WAY YOU BRIEF THEM OH I DON’T THINK SO, NOT MY CUP OF TEA; WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?  

You’re not like I do have to interview people, but we were kind of green at that time right? We were very like you know this was all kew to us you know and very new to me to have to depend that much on another human being that wasn’t a family member. It was easier with family members with your sisters but then you need this other person. You don’t know and the other thing is they have to be very honest people because what am I going to do if they decide say okay I think I’ll steal from this person or I’ll do this or do that.  

IT’S BASED ON HUGE TRUST.  

Trust, very much yup. And that’s you do you have to trust them.  

AND NOT JUST THAT THEY’RE NOT GOING STEAL YOUR ANTIQUE, THIS IS A TRUST THAT GOES FAR DEEPER THAN THAT RIGHT? THIS IS –

Yup, hmm hmm. It is and these people like I am totally dependent on them and they can’t get up in the middle of the night and say ah you know what I’m fed up with this. I’m leaving, ‘cause I can’t even use the telephone to say to one of my siblings, hey I need help here. 10:40 And it is it’s a leap of faith and it’s a leap of faith for them, because they don’t know what they’re coming into.  

WELL I CAN SEE THE WAY YOU’RE TALKING THAT IT TAKES A VERY SPECIAL PERSON BECAUSE YOU ARE TOTALLY VULNERABLE. YOU HAVE TO ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE TOTALLY VULNERABLE TO A STRANGER. HOW DID YOU KNOW DEBBIE WAS THE ONE?  

I didn’t. We just as time went on and it was with Debbie it was almost like you were I don’t know if you call it soulmate or what she and I were so much alike and even my friends, they would shake their heads and say I can’t believe it, Debbie is you when you were walking.