Get to Know Me: Bonnie McGovern, author of Taking Care of Barbara

I was born October 24, 1944. She's 62 years old and I live 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.

I have two wonderful sons, William, 36, who lives on Kauai, Hawaii and Robert Todd, 34, a Captain on a beautiful catamaran in the Caribbean.

I retired from working on cruise ships around the world as a massage therapist in July 1995 to help my father pass over. I then took care of my mother, who had heart and lung disease, and my sister Barbara, who had Alzheimer's for the next 9 1/2 years.

I helped my mother pass over May 10, 2001 and my sister pass over on New Years Eve 2004.

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

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. My 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.

I am very busy marketing my book, being on radio shows and counseling caregivers.

For fun and relaxation I love to read and I love to work in my beautiful big garden, eating the delicious fruit after working with the trees, plants and grass.

My good book recommendation is "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.

I would rather not live without fresh air and healthy organic food.

If I won the jackpot, I would travel around the world some more, though I have been to all the continents, plus about 200 countries and every state in America except North Dakota. I would give a lot of the money to orphanages in Africa in memory of my sister, save some money for the rest of my life (I plan to live for at least 120 years) and help my sons out whenever they needed it.

Some people have been amazed and surprised to learn that I took care of my family for 10 years. My family needed my help and I wanted to make each remaining day of their lives as wonderful as possible.

I feel I succeeded.

The best advice I have ever received is to be loving, kind, compassionate and generous.

My sister Barbara, who never married or had children, used to give me advice on how to raise my two sons. It was not good advice.

My favorite place to go in my town of Haiku is my own little 2.2 acre valley, which I call Heaven's Happy Hallow. My second favorite place near me is the funky little town of Makawao - wonderful unique little shops and restaurants.

One word which describes Bonnie McGovern - "giving"

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.

My pet peeve - I like people to wipe their feet on my doormats before they come into my beautiful home. Most people do not, without a gentle reminder from me.

My favorite childhood memory - This is a hard one to answer, for I have so many wonderful childhood memories, which I wrote about in "Taking Care of Barbara." Wow, if I have to pick one, I guess I will say it was playing hide-and-go-seek outdoors in the evening until 9:00 PM in the summers with the kids in my neighborhood. We never wanted to come in and go to bed! When I went in, I would take a bath and then read Nancy Drew books under my blankets with a flashlight.