Every night dozens of men come in and out of Kathy Felt’s home. They don’t hang out in the kitchen or the living area, they all go straight to her bedroom. They’re not there to play games or chitchat. They are there for Kathy, only for Kathy. Although it might sound racy that all these men are visiting Kathy, 66, every night, they’re actually in her home for a heartwarming reason.
For years, Kathy has battled multiple sclerosis. And as the disease progressed, Kathy found it harder to get in and out of bed. She could leave her beloved home and move into an assisted living facility. But she didn’t want that. It would have been terrible for her.
Instead, she made the commitment to figure things out. Her sons and an aide help her get in and out of bed each morning.
“It was for about a year and a half or so, maybe even more. They were getting me up in the morning putting me to bed at night,” Felt says. “My greatest gift and my greatest blessing of all has been my two sons.”
They help her get ready for her day. And she appreciates everything they do. But they were not able to be there for Kathy at night.
Every night Kathy struggled to get into bed. And then one night, she heard a knock on her door. It was forceful and gave her a fright. When she opened the door, she smiled. It was not the police or someone she didn’t know. It was a neighbor. He had heard all about how Kathy struggled to get in and out of her bed because of multiple sclerosis. And he wanted to help her. It was crazy. It was unconventional. But she was so happy. She didn’t want to leave her home.
“I cried. Just like now. I was so moved. This is my miracle,” Kathy said.
Kathy loved life in Sandy, Utah and could not imagine moving anywhere else. And after that first neighbor made the offer, an astounding 60 strong men from Sandy all came knocking on Kathy’s door. They told her they were all coming into her bedroom to help.
Instead of looking upon the situation as a chore, the men felt they were blessed to be able to help Kathy in her moment of need. And Kathy did not hesitate to call it what it was – a miracle for her.
Although Kathy’s story is coming out now, she has been getting this help from her male neighbors for a decade. The men rotate the responsibility so they can all help a little bit over time. And they show up just as promised every night to lift Kathy into her bed and tuck the covers in around her.
Keith Pugmire, 65, was one of the first to help Kathy out. They had been friends and neighbors for 38 years. He works as an executive with Recon Dynamics, an asset management company.
“It started out with a core group of 20 to 30 people,” he says. “We had no problem getting the men. As a matter of fact, we have a hard time scheduling everybody.”
Kathy is so grateful.
“I’m just so grateful for the friendship that I have with them,” she says. “You just can’t put a price on that.”