An elderly Michigan woman got a one-two punch of devastating news in the middle of 2015 and decided that, instead of giving up, she'd take the road trip of a lifetime. Two days after burying Leo, her husband of 67 years, Norma was diagnosed with uterine cancer. Her doctor recommended the usual course of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment, but Norma had other plans.
"I'm 90 years old," she told her daughter-in-law. "I'm not doing that." Instead of aggressive cancer treatment or dwindling away in a hospice, Norma decided to hit the road and see the world. Her son Tim and his wife Ramie (the family has asked that their last names be withheld) are retired and live a semi-nomadic life in a fancy motorhome, so after some discussion they decided to have Norma join them on their journey.
"She knows our lifestyle," said Ramie. "She said, 'Yep, I think I'd like to go along.'"
The family upgraded to a new 36-foot motorhome, sold Norma's house, packed up their dog, and in late August of 2015 they set off on for Norma's last road trip. Since then, the three adventurers have criss-crossed the country stopping at every museum, roadside attraction, and historical marker they could find. They traveled west from Michigan to see Mount Rushmore, the International UFO Museum, and Yellowstone National Park. Heading south, they traveled to New Orleans to visit the National World War II museum where Norma, who served as a nurse in the U.S. Navy's WAVES program, was given the royal treatment. Not content to limit their travels to one continent, the three even traveled to China and Europe according to The Sun.
"She's living life and not in an end-of-life mentality," said Ramie. "She's in the present moment. We see a spark in her eye that we haven't seen in a very long time. She's up for most anything." The family also said that Norma's cancer symptoms have lessened and she is in no pain or discomfort during her travels.
Ramie and Tim set up a Facebook page called Driving Miss Norma where people can follow their adventures. The page has nearly 70,000 followers from all over the world, and showcases Norma's adventures in photos and assorted updates.
"I'm 90 years old," she told her daughter-in-law. "I'm not doing that." Instead of aggressive cancer treatment or dwindling away in a hospice, Norma decided to hit the road and see the world. Her son Tim and his wife Ramie (the family has asked that their last names be withheld) are retired and live a semi-nomadic life in a fancy motorhome, so after some discussion they decided to have Norma join them on their journey.
"She knows our lifestyle," said Ramie. "She said, 'Yep, I think I'd like to go along.'"
The family upgraded to a new 36-foot motorhome, sold Norma's house, packed up their dog, and in late August of 2015 they set off on for Norma's last road trip. Since then, the three adventurers have criss-crossed the country stopping at every museum, roadside attraction, and historical marker they could find. They traveled west from Michigan to see Mount Rushmore, the International UFO Museum, and Yellowstone National Park. Heading south, they traveled to New Orleans to visit the National World War II museum where Norma, who served as a nurse in the U.S. Navy's WAVES program, was given the royal treatment. Not content to limit their travels to one continent, the three even traveled to China and Europe according to The Sun.
"She's living life and not in an end-of-life mentality," said Ramie. "She's in the present moment. We see a spark in her eye that we haven't seen in a very long time. She's up for most anything." The family also said that Norma's cancer symptoms have lessened and she is in no pain or discomfort during her travels.
Ramie and Tim set up a Facebook page called Driving Miss Norma where people can follow their adventures. The page has nearly 70,000 followers from all over the world, and showcases Norma's adventures in photos and assorted updates.
Sign in to post
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Continue