| Guest of honor Woman fighting ALS celebrated by family, friends 06/02/2001 By Linda Stewart Ball / The Dallas Morning News
On a sunny afternoon on the last day of May, about 40 of Linda Hampton's
dearest women friends stopped by to say farewell.
They came from Chicago, Tulsa, Duncan, Okla., Denton, McKinney, San
Antonio and points in between. They brought food, flowers, old photos
and sweet memories.
Initially, they planned to celebrate Ms. Hampton's 59th birthday. But
that's not until November. Ms. Hampton feared she might not be around
then, or at least not in any condition to entertain, said Jane Foster,
who hosted the gathering this week in her spacious Plano home.
Ms. Hampton – wife, mother of two and loyal friend to many – is dying.
She has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly referred to as ALS or
Lou Gehrig's disease. The creeping paralysis began in her left leg
several years ago and is spreading throughout her body, wasting away
muscles and shutting down movement in its wake. When it completely
permeates her lungs, probably sometime in the next six months, she'll
take her last breath.
Whining not her style
There's no known cause or cure. But Ms. Hampton, who is under hospice care
at home now, is no whiner. That's not her style, her friends say.
"You make your own happiness," that's her trademark saying, Ms. Foster
notes.
"I've always remembered that," said friend Suzanne Cook. "You can choose
to be down or not."
Some feared that Ms. Hampton's party might be a sad affair. They were
relieved to find it was anything but. There was boisterous laughter,
constant chatter and frequent group picture taking, but no tears. Those
will come later.
"Beverly, shut your mouth and get in the picture!" one red-haired woman
shouted at her friend as the room erupted in titters. Several people
brought cameras. And though they all crowded around Ms. Hampton for the
photos, the rest of the time they gave her plenty of room to breathe,
with the aid of a nearby oxygen tank.
Smiling graciously, her long-lashed hazel eyes sparkling merrily behind
her glasses, Ms. Hampton held court from a comfy leather recliner. A
steady stream of friends leaned in to chat with and listen to this
soft-spoken woman, who used to own the Quilted Cat arts and crafts shop
in McKinney and is known for the beautiful creations she made from old
quilts.
Ms. Hampton's voice is fading. Part of that's the disease, but she's
also been talking a lot lately, she confessed. She's using her voice to
tell people about ALS and the need for research to help others.
"She has been a wonderful bulletin board of public awareness," said
Debra Aulenbacher, a registered nurse and patient services coordinator
for the North Texas chapter of the ALS Association.
'Brave and courageous'
"Linda is very brave, a very brave and courageous woman," Ms. Aulenbacher
said. "Some people can't talk about it publicly. They get too emotional."
But Ms. Hampton attends the Plano ALS support group meetings "to give
support to everyone else," the nurse said, even though she's tired and
has difficulty getting there. The 7 p.m. meetings are held the first
Thursday of the month at Grace Presbyterian Church, 4300 W. Park Blvd.
At the party, Ms. Foster encouraged guests to sign up for the second
annual 5K fund-raising "Walk to D'Feet ALS" which will be held in Grand
Prairie Oct. 7 (www.alsanorthtexas.org).
"We're going to walk ... for Linda," friend Bev Hiegel said. "To help
find a cure for ALS. We're going to do T-shirts with her picture on it."
Ms. Hampton was diagnosed in 1997, more than two years after developing
a limp on her left side.
After seeing orthopedic doctors and specialists in arthritis to no
avail, "a neurologist nailed it – ALS," she whispered. "It was a disease
I knew was deadly. It was not something I wanted to hear."
Awareness of ALS
At the party, most everyone sported ALS awareness ribbons, a white ribbon
with navy pinstripes inspired by the New York Yankees uniform worn by the
famous baseball player, Lou Gehrig, "The Iron Horse."
"Lou Gehrig died in 1941, and here it is 2001 and they still have
nothing [to cure it]," Ms. Hiegel said. "It's pretty sad. There needs to
be more awareness."
That's precisely what Ms. Foster and Ms. Hampton were trying to create
with this gathering.
Asked why she attended, Cathy Hanson of McKinney said: "Because I love
her. ... I wanted to be part of this, and I don't like it that she's
sick."
Ms. Hanson, along with Ms. Hampton, were among 15 women who in 1981
formed Classic Crafters Inc. and began producing an arts and crafts show
known as Back to Grandma's Attic. They were drawn together because of
their mutual appreciation for antiques, quilts, silk flowers, Christmas
ornaments and other decorative items.
After 10 years, they sold the business venture, but their personal ties
remained strong.
"We started out as crafters together and became lifelong friends," Ms.
Hanson said.
"Linda was always a quiet warm presence," said Deb Conte, of Denton.
"She deserved more than this."
Ms. Hampton's positive demeanor has always been a character mainstay,
her friends say.
"We had good times and parties and Linda was always there with her
smiles," said Ann Blevins of Plano.
She still is.
"It's been a really uplifting day," said Carol Eubanks, a childhood
friend from Duncan, Okla. "A positive day for a really lovely lady."
When Ms. Eubanks left, she gave Ms. Hampton a big hug and a kiss and
said "You sure have some neat friends."
To which, Ms. Hampton responded: "Yes, I know. Aren't I lucky?"
Staff writer Linda Stewart Ball can be reached at 214-977-6968 or at
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