ALS - the Patient

A picture is worth a thousand words, they say. And words don’t always come easy.

Veronique Ondella Evenhouse was my Sister-in-law. She passed away on May 26, 2021. Veronique spent the last year and a half bravely witnessing how ALS slowly but relentlessly took her mobility away, eventually confining her to a wheelchair and ultimately complicating her ability to breathe. I was privileged to spend the last 6 months in my brother Thor’s home, helping to support and care for Veronique. When talking about ALS, words often come up short. ALS is a condition which shows little mercy for the patient or the caregivers. ALS does not only affect and incapacitate the patient, but also takes a heavy toll on the family and all those who are close to the patient.

Where words fail, images may be of help. Amidst all the chaos which this condition inevitably brings, I also made a commitment to document the impact that this time had on all of us. I would like to share those images with you in a way which hopefully conveys the many ups and downs of the emotional rollercoaster which is ALS . Just as ALS affects every member of the family, the images will be presented in galleries representing various perspectives of the many people involved.

Starting with…

ALS – The Patient : Veronique

Let me introduce you to my (former) sister-in-law Veronique Ondella Evenhouse. She was French by birth and arrived in California at the age of 19. Some called her ‘the epitome of the classy French lady’. Other descriptions which come to mind are: strong, beautiful, caring, loving, kind, industrious, never-tiring, curious and athletic. Veronique owned and ran her own company. She was married to my brother Thor, the perfect husband (her words) and was the mother of their two lovely children, Logan and Lola. 

I am thankful to Veronique for allowing me to create all these images, and I am glad to be able to share them with you.