For Meg Reyes, caregiving is an act of love and endurance. Her husband, Juan, a veteran living with ALS, depends on her not only for care but for companionship, laughter, and hope. Yet behind her steady smile sits a profound reality marked by devotion and grief.
The hardest part, Meg says, isn’t the daily tasks or endless to-do lists. It’s something deeper and more complex to name. “If I pick one challenge, it would be living in anticipatory grief,” she explains. “Seeing my soulmate, the love of my life, diminishing in front of my eyes and grieving the life we will never have.”
Amid that heartbreak, Meg has built a lifeline of support that keeps her grounded. Her neighborhood, she says, has become her “tribe,” people who create space for laughter, connection, and care outside of ALS.
“They make sure I have time for me without ALS,” she says. “They also give me grace when I need to vent, cry, or just talk about my challenges.”
That sense of balance extends to the moments Meg carves out for herself, small but vital breaks remind her she’s more than a caregiver. She works out, goes to book club, plays Bunco, enjoys wine nights, and focuses on what she can do.
“I make sure I give myself time to do things that can take my mind off my ALS life,” she says. “I also try to focus on what I can accomplish versus what I can’t.”
As a veteran caregiver mentee, Meg also offers her time to help others on similar journeys. She says the support they receive through veteran programs has been life-changing but she recognizes that not every ALS family has access to the same resources.
“We are fortunate we have veteran support,” Meg says. “I wish other non-veterans had the same help with finances to afford caregiving. I want people to have what they need while dealing with a terminal disease and be able to live as a spouse, not just a caregiver.”
Ultimately, Meg hopes that every caregiver, veteran or not, can find the same peace she strives for: the freedom to spend memorable, meaningful time with the person they love.
“I would love their time with their spouse to be memorable,” she says, “rather than caring for someone who’s dying.”
