THE TIMELINE
1979
"Rhapsody in Blue"
Recorded 1979 - Tom French playing Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue for our high school spring concert - Tom's graduation
September, 2022 - 41 years later, the tape recording was discovered by accident while packing their home in N.H. to relocate to Florida, by Tom's brother Dave, and wife Kelly.
October 2, 2022 - Transferred to digital form, a surprise for Lauren at her wedding for her father daughter dance. She danced to her dad's recording of Rhapsody with the men who were involved in Tom's life. Uncles, dear friends, and caregivers who played a significant role in our lives over the years took turns dancing with her. Tom's spirit, his music, and love were deeply felt - he truly was present.
I believe - "There are no coincidences in life"
2005
"Mind Games"; the Chapter
My husband Tom wrote a memoir chapter called “Mind Games,” for Robert Horn’s book, Who’s Right? (Whose Right?). Horn was a patient with A.L.S. himself. Who’s Right? (Whose Right?) offers intimate interviews with eleven individuals who faced terminal conditions and made certain decisions about how to face the end of their lives. Along with the interviews are thirty-one expert commentaries on topics such as law, medicine, psychology, nursing, hospice, religion, and death that present opinions on different sides of these issues. Among these writers were Derek Humphrey, author of the bestselling book Final Exit, and the former U.S. Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop, MD.
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Tom was asked to write from the perspective of a terminal patient after Dr. Koop’s son, Norm, our late pastor, put us in contact with Horn. Tom accepted, but since he was quadriplegic and on a ventilator full time, he couldn’t write or type with his hands. He composed the entire chapter using an “eye gaze” system, which required the scanning motion of his pupils as he used them like a mouse. His eyes acted as a cursor around the screen and would select one letter at a time on a graphic keyboard interface. This process was very tedious, and on top of that we only had a dial-up internet connection and a computer that crashed often! It’s hard for me to imagine the patience it must have taken Tom to persevere and write thousands of words this way.
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2005
"Mind Games"; the Documentary
A year or two after Tom wrote “Mind Games,” a local filmmaker, Teo Zagar, started shooting a documentary film about our lives with A.L.S. After reading Tom’s chapter, they both decided to title his movie Mind Games: A Love Story.
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The movie was shown to the public for the first time at the Woodstock Town Hall Theatre on September 8, 2005. Tom passed away while we were getting him ready to go to the theatre, shortly before we were supposed to leave "I was holding his hand, he blinked his eyes and moved his lips three time, and then passed away" I know he was saying "I love you" then his heart stopped.
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It would later be broadcast on public television stations in New England, screened around the country at film festivals, and used as teaching material at hospitals, universities, and palliative care centers and medical venues. It was the centerpiece at the national conference of The A.L.S. Association National Office in California in 2007.
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2016
“ALS A Love Story” and newly published 2023 "Chapters a Memoir of Trauma and Heartbreak to Hope and Healing"
Join the heartwarming journey of Jacqueline, Tom, and their daughter Lauren as they navigate through adversity and pain in this captivating memoir. Experience their spiritual growth, true bonds of friendship and family, and most importantly, their love of God. This inspiring tale highlights romance, reflect on life, and the power of love to triumph over incurable disease.
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"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."
— William Shakespeare