Catfish wish comes true for 109-year-old local woman

At 109 years old, when Bertie Ross was asked what she would do if she could do anything, her answer was eating catfish at Benny Bob's in Blytheville.

Born May 30, 1902, Ross, a Blytheville resident, was approached by her elder care provider, Absolute Care Management, in partnership with Second Wind Dreams, with the offer to grant her a wish. Ross's wish was to be able to get out a go eat at Benny Bob's with her family. Fulfilling a dream, however, isn't as simple as asking and receiving; there is a process. This process begins with what is called "dream discovery."

"We spent a lot of time talking with Mrs. Ross talking about things she liked to do before we ever mentioned Second Wind," said Absolute Care Management marketing director, Courtney Shackelford. "She kept talking about how much she loves Benny Bob's but she hadn't been able to go there in years."

Ross, who was picked up in a limo with a few family members and chauffeured to Benny Bob's, is the first person in Blytheville to receive a wish from Second Wind Dreams. Founded as a non-profit organization in 1997 by Gerontology Psychologist P.K. Beville, Second Wind Dreams is making it a goal to change the perception on aging, empowering people to age with dignity, hope and joy. One of the ways they work towards this is by finding those receiving elder care and offering wish fulfillment. The organization operates nationwide, granting one to two wishes a day in the United States and Canada.

As she was sitting down at her table, Ross was asked if she was surprised by all of this, to which she answered "Nothing surprises me."

Absolute Care Management is a local elder care provider, offering services to 26 counties through out Arkansas. ACM would like to thank Benny Bob's for donating a meal and Rena Brown at Mid-South Florist for donating a flower arrangement.

For more information on Second Wind Dreams, visit www.secondwind.org. For more information on Absolute Care Management visit www.absolutecaremanagement.com.

cpinkard@blythevillecourier.com