Carl Kegerreis, the author of the exciting novel, I Wish I Had Those Gasoline Pellets, calls his wife the love of his life. Blissfully married for 58 years and 3 months before she passed away on March 1, 2021, the author made his wife his inspiration in creating the persona of one of the main characters, the always gentle Lilly. Accompanying her husband, Haywood Runyan, through thick and thin, Lilly did not shy away from danger and steadfastly stood by the side of her better half. In love and war, Lilly was ever loyal and beautiful.
If only life is a novel, the confines of each of its pages will perpetuate the essence of true love between two people. Old age, sickness, and even death will become an afterthought. However, it is sad but true that the fairy tale with the beautiful ending does not extend to the real world we live in. Nor does love last forever. Our being mortal prevents that from happening. It proved the same for the author. His wife, unfortunately, developed Alzheimer’s disease, an illness with no cure where protein plaques and tangles develop in the brain’s neurons. When the neurons die, the brain tissues degenerate until the damage to the brain becomes irreversible. The author witnessed, firsthand, his wife’s courageous stand against the creeping disease. Just like in all other cases of Alzheimer’s disease, doctors cannot explain fully how it develops. It is a mystery that perplexes men of science until this very day. Not helping the cause is the fact that the diagnosis is almost always made when the symptoms of dementia, like extreme memory loss and confusion, are already far advanced.
In memory of his wife who passed away very recently, Carl Kegerreis is donating the proceeds of his book to the Alzheimer’s Research Institute. By doing so, the love that he shared with his wife can shine like a beacon of hope to all those afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease.
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