Woman Given Weeks to Live Gets Christmas Early Thanks to Community: 'We Had to Do This'
“I pray that she carries the love that she felt tonight every day that she has," said friend Rita Monteiro, who organized the caroling event for Tracy Demeyer
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Christmas carols outdoors at nightA Virginia community has brought Christmas early to a woman with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS), who has just weeks to live.
Dozens of people gathered outside Tracy Demeyer’s home in Chesterfield County on Saturday, Nov. 16, to sing Christmas carols and celebrate a few weeks early to ensure she gets to enjoy the holiday, according to CBS affiliate WTVR and NBC affiliate WBBT.
Rita Monteiro, a friend who organized the event, told WTVR that Tracy “wanted to make sure she could see Christmas” this year.
"Next week [is] Thanksgiving, and if she's only got a couple of weeks, then now is the time,” Monteiro said.
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Tracy has been battling ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, for several years, per the reports.
The neurodegenerative condition impacts how nerve cells communicate with muscles in the human body, and leads to worsening muscle weakness that affects how a person moves, speaks and breathes, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
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But one thing the disease has not impacted, Monteiro said, is Tracy’s spirit. “So with that in mind, we knew that we had to do this,” she told WTVR.
The call for carolers went out last week, according to WBBT. At the time, Monteiro thought it would be “amazing” to put a smile on Tracy’s face by getting people to “come together and sing” with the mom of two.
“[It’s] not a sad occasion, but a beautiful and a festive occasion, celebrating life and the season and celebrating her and just lifting her up,” Monteiro previously explained.
On Nov. 16, the street in front of Tracy’s house was filled with carolers. Her son Brian Demeyer told WBBT he was “blown away by the turnout,” which he called “incredible.”
Tracy joined the carolers in song from her porch. Brian said caroling has always been his mother’s favorite part of Christmas. “This is the Christmas spirit,” he added.
Monteiro was simply happy to help “bring her joy” this holiday season. "Anything for Tracy, honestly,” she told WTVR.
She added, “I pray that she carries the love that she felt tonight every day that she has.”
