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"She sacrificed her entire life, all of her dreams and aspirations to raise her family."
Ruth Whitfield, 86
"She sacrificed her entire life, all of her dreams and aspirations to raise her family."
Ruth Whitfield was returning home from visiting her husband in a nursing home when she stopped by Tops to pick up seeds for a garden her son had built her as a Mother's Day present a year ago, her family told ABC News.
Her son, Garnell Whitfield Jr., the retired Buffalo fire commissioner, described his mother's devotion to her family, especially her husband of 68 years, who suffers from dementia. "She was there just about everyday, taking care of him, making sure he was well cared for by the staff, washing, ironing his clothes, making sure he was dressed appropriately, making sure his nails were cut and clean and shaved," he said. "All of that. Everyday."
Even as her own health began to weaken, Ruth Whitfield still tried to visit her husband each day, taking days off only when she felt too debilitated to make the trip. Garnell Whitfield shared that his mother "never worked professionally. She stayed at home with us. She sacrificed her entire life, all of her dreams and aspirations to raise her family." He added, "My dad worked two, sometimes three jobs in order to allow her to stay home. And my mom would be in our schools all the time when we were kids."
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