Alice Bradley
The scleroderma community lost a good friend on January 28, 2011. Alice Bradley not only lived with scleroderma for 41 years but she gave a good portion of her time as an advocate for scleroderma research, for improved patient care, and for helping raise the awareness of this disease.
Alice was a teacher, a mentor, an enthusiastic member of the Evergreen Chapter Board of Directors. She gave her energy, her time, her passion and what financial resources that she could to scleroderma.
She was an active participant at the University of Washington Rheumapalooza quarterly teaching session by sharing her story about her experience with scleroderma to students and house staff at the UW Medical School. At those sessions, Alice urged her attentive audience to listen to their patients, to provide their care and energy to understand the uncertainty that scleroderma patients may have when  dealing with organ systems involved with this disease. She taught the groups about the difficulties of dealing with contractures, with dental care when the mouth doesn’t open wide enough for a dentist’s hands and equipment to work on the teeth and tissues. She spoke about the good days when a patient could actually get out of bed and prepare their own meals. She spoke of the devastation that fatigue, paralysis, disfigurement and fear that accompanies the bad days.
Throughout her battle with scleroderma, Alice kept a place for supporting others, for helping when she could and for setting aside her own pain to assist others. She was optimistic about everything. She listened, she cared, she gave of herself unselfishly.
Alice Bradley danced her way through life and health until she could no longer dance.
I hope she is dancing in heaven. – Gretchen Henstorf
Alice Bradley Support Group Leader and friend to the Evergreen Chapter for the last 19 years died on Feb. 28, 2011. Her wit, wisdom and dancing will be missed by all.
The time and location for Alice's celebration of life with be:
Saturday, February 19th 10:30 am Our Lady of Guadalupe Church: Our Lady of Guadalupe Church: Rectory 7000 35th Ave., Seattle, WA 98126-3299
The family asks that friends please dress in festive attire. There will be a short vigil, with a party following downstairs in the rectory. There will be an opportunity to share stories of Alice at her party.
|
2009 Seattle Walk Photos