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Ed Chambers would do anything for his wife Marguerite.

The couple who lived in the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, were a team.

Together they had provided a safe and a loving home for four children and built successful

careers.

But in 1972, Ed noticed a change in Marguerite's personality.

His highly intelligent and quick-witted wife became forgetful and confused.

After seeking medical advice, the couple received devastating news.

At 42 years old, Marguerite had Alzheimer's disease, an incurable type of dementia that

destroys memory and thinking skills.

For the following years, Marguerite became frail and was unable to carry out the simplest

of everyday tasks.

Ed took an early retirement to help his wife, but by the early 1980s, he accepted that

Marguerite needed round-the-clock care by professionals.

Live-in care facilities around Grand Rapids at that time were few and far between, so Marguerite's

name was added to a long list of applicants.

For a two-year wait, a bed became available at our Pine Manor.

Situated on the outskirts of Grand Rapids and backing on to a densely wooded area, the

208 bed nursing home was only three blocks from the chamber's house.

...