EDITORIAL: After 32 months, a dream realized

Aug. 25—Maria danced.

Those two words carry enormous importance, simply because, for 18 of her nearly 54 years, her life centered around three things: children, grandchildren and dance.

Not just dance, but performance Argentine tango.

Throughout her adult life, she was adept at mastering anything she put her mind to doing. To name a few ...

Becoming a tugboat captain. Check.

Becoming a polished artist. Check.

Becoming a top-notch accountant. Check.

Becoming a black belt in taekwondo. Check.

Completing half-marathons. Check.

Becoming a power-lifter. Check.

Becoming a perfect Argentine tango performer.

However, about 32 months ago, Maria was hit with a severe case of COVID-19. That's what she knew to be true, even if doctors couldn't or wouldn't list it as an official diagnosis. It became so exasperating that her story ended up being an in-depth feature story on the front page of the Richmond (Virginia) Times-Dispatch on March 30, 2020.

It's quite a read.

To make matters worse, the COVID-19 sparked more health concerns — all of which displayed Muscular Dystrophy-like symptoms.

It basically put an end to any and all physical activities, as Maria became solely focused on rewiring her thinking in an effort to put her energy to use in the right areas.

Everything became something that had to be analyzed. Everything.

If it required bending over, it took breath away.

If it required using her arms and hands, it took energy away.

If it required endurance of any kind, it had to be prioritized.

Suddenly, trips to the grocery store or to shop for jeans or just going out to a restaurant became things she had to give up so that she could, instead, make the bed, clean her home, take a bath (showers were out because of the steam) or to perform even the simplest of tasks.

Oh, and she had to save energy to visit doctors. Literally hundreds of doctor visits in those 32 months have put Maria through a myriad of tests, some over and over again. She's had something like 10 lung-function tests, which aren't pleasant at all. She's had a number of biopsies to determine muscle degeneration. She's been poked, prodded and basically told that anything associated with a normal life isn't possible — and a few of those things could kill her.

Breathing was the only priority.

But in March of this year, Maria had had enough. She elected to get off the medical merry-go-round and stop all the poking, prodding and testing. Her attitude became one of wanting to live as a human being, rather than just be kept alive as a science experiment.

That was five months ago.

She still takes great care to protect her breathing — laughing too hard can choke her up; too much walking, too much humidity, too much physical exertion of almost any kind can rob her of breath; and odors from any kind of chemicals can quickly do the same — but she has been embracing life's opportunities so that she feels more whole now than she has in a long time.

Even a newfound relationship has offered her real rewards that she had been told would never-again be possible.

Recently, Maria realized that she had done enough looking at her dance shoes and competitive Argentine tango heels and wishing she could use them again — even for a moment. On Monday, her life took a huge leap forward when she decided — after a lot of research — to visit Carolina DanceWorks in Southern Pines.

It was there that she met Bruce Hasson, one of the owners who has been a top amateur ice-skater and a top-ranked ballroom dancer, and his wife Debbie.

She only spent about 45 minutes at Carolina DanceWorks, but for about half of that time, she accomplished something extraordinary.

Maria danced.

And she will again.

W. Curt Vincent can be reached at 910-862-4163 or cvincent@bladenjournal.com.