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MARTHA'S LAST MILE
ESCAMBIA COUNTY - They are the details most folks want to ignore... But they must be tended to.
A will, a living will, choosing an estate executor.
All decisions stage four breast cancer patient Martha Russell has had to make very recently.
This morning... She shares her choices with us on Martha's Last Mile.
Martha Russell and Kay Goodman have been playing games together since they were girls...
(("You don't get to move. Well excuse me."))
They good-naturedly bicker like it's 1965... Disagreeing and giggling like only best friends can.
But lately the pair have had deeply serious conversations...Kay's the executor of Martha's estate.
((Martha Russell; "Very difficult, as a matter of fact they didn't agree with anything I wanted to do." keep laugh))
Initially Martha signed a form refusing any medical intervention...Including blood transfusions, surgery...Even antibiotics.
((Kay Goodman; "What do you mean you're not gonna take an antibiotic? If you get a cold you're telling me you're not gonna take an antibiotic?"))
((Martha Russell; "Cause I was tired. I'd really been hurting for two years and I didn't want to deal with anything else, just let me go."))
Eventually Martha changed her mind about antibiotics...But another issue arose.
((Martha Russell; "Most of my friends and family were just like, you're gonna do what?"))
Martha decided long ago on cremation...
((Martha Russell; "I'm such a free spirit that just throw me, let me go where I land."))
((Kay Goodman; "I don't like the idea myself, I would much rather that she choose another way. But it's if that's what she wants, I'm okay with it."))
Together they've settled her will, living will and medical directive forms...But one longtime hope will go unfulfilled.
((Martha Russell; "This was really my heart, was to be able to be a donor. But because of the cancer you know I wont to be allowed to be a donor."))
She has decided what do with her assets...
((Martha Russell; "I told 'em early on, Mama ain't got much but what's she got she's gonna spend as much as she can before she goes."))
They've had the talk where they both realize that they -- as usual -- don't agree on the details....but Martha knows Kay will carry out her wishes.
((Martha Russell; "I trust her with anything, everything I have."))
And while Kay has mixed feelings about our "Martha's Last Mile" project...Martha says it's accomplishing her original goal...
((Martha Russell; "I wanted people's concept of death and dying to be changed" "We got away from anticipating heaven so much that we became afraid of death."))
Kathryn Daniel, Channel Three News.
Next week on Martha's Last Mile, we'll meet Martha's caregivers.
