Photo: Raymond Adams
She will have to cherish him, the love of her life, to the end of his life
Steve December got the diagnosis ALS four years ago. Only two days later he asked his former girlfriend Hope if she would want to marry him. She did not hesitate a second and said 'yes'. That's her story.
Hope and Steve December had been learning years before they became a couple. Hope, a trained drug and alcohol therapist, met Steve at one of her seminars. He had been stopped by the police and assigned to Hope's group after a positive test. After this first meeting, Hope and Steve did not see each other for four years. Until they met by chance in a bar. That night, it clicked.
The very next day, Steve called Hope to ask her for a date. Her first meeting was very special. Speaking to Good Housekeeping magazine, Hope said: "On our first date, we met in the house we are living together in. There were bamboo torches, candles and flowers everywhere, we heard Frank Sinatra and he cooked for me, I was like that important that he fought and wooed me, would not we all? "
The couple had been together for just four months when Steve got his diagnosis: ALS. At this time, the symptoms of degenerative nerve disease had been evident for two years. But these were repeatedly misinterpreted. Through years of playing hockey, Steve had already broken some bones and damaged nerves. Regardless of whether Steve had wrist or elbow pain, the doctors could explain it all. Even as the front part of his foot could no longer lift - which is often an indication of ALS - the physicians had another explanation for it. Until the then 28-year-old began to fall.
On August 9, 2011, Steve was diagnosed with ALS. The doctors spoke of a life expectancy of two to five years. Hope was always at his side. The next day, Steve Hope said she did not have to stay with him. It would be alright if she wanted to leave him. But Hope knew that she would not go anywhere.
Just two days later, Steve made her a request. Hope said yes.
"I never wanted to marry, but surprisingly I did not hesitate, many of my friends and family members thought I was crazy, they thought it was too early, but when I told them that I was sure, they made my choice not questioned. "
In October 2011, Steve and Hope declined the word. Her honeymoon was spent on a private island off the coast of Belize. It was a gift from her friends. Even then, Hope had to support Steve while running. But the couple was convinced that they would have more time before the disease would progress even further. They put all their hope into new treatments and research.
Steve and Hope December at their wedding
Photo: Raymond Adams
On the day after her wedding, Steve takes part in a two-month blind clinical trial. So the couple could not be sure if the ALS patient would really get the medication. But they remained hopeful.
One of her biggest fears became reality when Steve relied on a wheelchair only five months after her wedding ceremony. As newlyweds, Hope and Steve did not argue about everyday things, but about things like the right dose of painkillers. Still, they did not let them down. Together they traveled as much as possible. Visited festivals and tried to spend a lot of time just outside and on the go.
In April 2013, Steve lost his voice due to pneumonia. Today he communicates with the help of a computer, which he uses by eye. Since January 2014, Steve is fed artificially. Previously he had lost a lot of weight because he could not keep the food with him. He sometimes weighed only a little over 30 kilos. Steve would have died almost twice in recent years. But he could be revived.
Today, Steve weighs over 68 pounds again. His condition is stable. The couple December is still trying to do a lot. Hope has not been working full-time since 2012 to support her husband. To earn money, the couple sells pictures that Steve paints with his wheelchair. T-shirts and jewelery are also available. Who would like to support the two, can do this also on their homepage.
Impressive: Steve and Hope do not lose hope and are grateful for every moment they spend together. For Hope, Steve is still the man she has met.
"Inside, Steve is still the same man, his mind razor-sharp and his mind still shining through, even if he completely loses control of his body, making everything possible, especially to make people laugh. "
