The Butcher’s Daughter: The Story of an Army Nurse With ALS

Sandra Lesher Stuban has written an inspirational autobiography about dealing with a devastating medical diagnosis. She grew up in rural Pennsylvania, the daughter of a butcher who instilled in her the solid values she would use throughout her adult life. She attended nursing school in Philadelphia, and after graduation, she joined the Army. She shares her adventures as an Army nurse and her successful career as a military officer. She was serving as a Lieutenant Colonel, when, at the age of thirty-eight, she was diagnosed with a chronically progressive disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig's disease. She was given a prognosis of two to three years to live, and was medically retired from the Army. She advanced quickly from being a strong, physically fit military officer, to being a ventilator dependent quadriplegic. She shares this journey of progressive paralysis along with her insights on living with a disability. Her perspective on the importance of family and friends, dependence on caregivers, raising a young son, and having a strong survivor's attitude, will be a source of inspiration for anyone facing such an obstacle in the road. She has lived with ALS for fourteen years, and still counting