Taking Care of Barbara by Bonnie McGovern

Bonnie Campbell McGovern is a 62 year old author who lives in beautiful Haiku, Maui, Hawaii in a little valley with two lovely homes on the property, my two cats, a beautiful garden and lots of fruit trees.

She has two wonderful sons, William, 36, who lives on Kauai, Hawaii and Robert Todd, 34, a Captain on a beautiful catamaran in the Caribbean. Bonnie retired from working on cruise ships around the world as a massage therapist in July 1995 to help my father pass over. She then took care of my mother, who had heart and lung disease, and her sister Barbara, who had Alzheimer's for the next 9 1/2 years. She helped her mother pass over May 10, 2001 and her sister pass over on New Years Eve 2004.

After Barbara's beautiful burial in our family plot on Oahu, Hawaii on January 19, 2005, She stepped foot on the cruise ship "Crystal Serenity" in Honolulu for a World Cruise and wrote the story about her family, her father's passing and mother's passing and Barbara's and her journey through Alzheimer's.

Barbara says," I wrote the book for all the caregivers in the world to help make their journeys much easier and happier. "Taking Care of Barbara A Journey Through and Alzheimer's and 29 Insights for Caregivers" has inspired and helped all those who have read the book. I knew a lot about caregiving, for I had helped care for relatives and friends since I was 3 years old. My father was paralyzed with polio from his neck down when I was three. I watched my mother, who was an amazing physical therapist, wrap his body in a very hot wool blanket every day and when it cooled, she would start moving his hands, arms, feet and legs. My sister and I would help move his feet and hands and we would all encourage daddy to move. We did this every day for a year, until daddy was normal again. I learned patience, love, caring and determination. Qualities which would help and sustain me in the later years, when I took care of my whole family for 10 years. I learned a lot about Alzheimer's and caregiving while taking care of my sister. I wanted others to know what I learned because I knew what I had learned would help so many people. My mission is to get "Taking Care of Barbara" into as many hands as possible around the world."

Part of the royalties go to Ipuka I Ke Ao on Maui, a non-profit organization, which teaches people how to help friends and relatives pass over and have a burial with grace and dignity. Another portion of the royalties go to help women and orphans in African countries. Bonnie's sister Barbara loved Africa. She had lived in Kenya for two years and Malawi for two years. She had fought for women's and children's rights in Africa and the United States for 34 years.

Currently, Bonnie is very busy marketing her book, being on radio shows, and counseling caregivers and for fun and relaxation she loves to read and work in her beautiful big garden, eating the delicious fruit after working with the trees, plants and grass.

"Taking Care of Barbara - A Journey Through Life and Alzheimer's and 29 Insights for Caregivers." It makes the reader laugh and cry and everything in between. It inspires others to meet whatever challenges come into their lives with a positive attitude.

" My biggest challenge I have faced so far in my life was taking care of my family. One never knows what a person with Alzheimer's will do and some of the things my sister did were quite a challenge for me adds," McGovern

To learn more about Bonnie and buy the book, please visit www.bonniemcgovern.com