Sam Escapes Nursing Home and Marries Fellow Advocate
Cheri Mitchell interviewed by Jessica Felfoldi about her late husband Sam. Recorded for StoryCorps in February 2014.
A brief synopsis of the StoryCorps story:
Cheri Mitchell discusses how she met her husband, Sam, in a nursing facility. She originally went to hear his story: He had suffered a massive stroke and was confined to the nursing home, despite possessing complete control of his mental faculties in a small amount of time proceeding the stroke.
A few weeks after Cheri met Sam, he was transferred without his consent to a different nursing home in Savannah. As he told Cheri, "A nursing home is not a home." He and the other residents were given no privacy even while using the bathroom, and were subjected to a complete lack of care surpassing the minimum requirement.
Sam was unsure about living by himself, but Cheri eventually convinced him that he was capable of living in the community. Once he left the nursing home, Sam became an integral part of a self-advocacy group for people with disabilities. He carpooled with Cheri to most events since transportation for people with disabilities was minimal, and the two fell in love. Although he has been dead for almost six years, Cheri maintains that Sam was the love of her life and her best friend.
Produced by Talley Wells with interviews recorded by StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. www.storycorps.org