Winslow Jackson (WJ): On my birthday, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis; three years later, my wife left, and we were divorced. And that was, undoubtedly, the saddest time of my life, because I felt so stranded.
Dorothy Jackson (DJ): I was almost 60, had the disease for over 30 years, could barely walk, and my husband died in a motorcycle accident. I was on my own. I was bewildered about where I was going or what I was going to do. But, one day, I was in the gym and this man, who invariably used my favorite piece of gym equipment, said…
WJ: ”Wow, nice red scooter.”
DJ: I thought, well, I’d heard lines like this before, but this time it was different. We talked for 15 or 20 minutes. And I found out that he also had MS.
WJ: So, we dated–oh, let’s say maybe a year and a half–and the question came up, ”Well, how can two people with MS ever survive together?” And this has been the real miracle of our relationship.
DJ: If one of our scooters goes down, the other one can pull or push…
WJ: I’ve pushed her many times [laughs].
DJ: …and I’ve pulled you!
WJ: Well, true. Fortunately, today, they have medications out that can almost stop the progression of MS. So, my symptoms have not really changed in the last ten years. I certainly am very hopeful that my wife will not worsen either.
DJ: We’d like to think that we’re setting good examples of how to live life.
WJ: Well Dorothy, I want to thank you so much for being with me and being my true love.
DJ: You’re so much fun to be with. I look forward to continuing to seeing the world with you.
Winslow Jackson met his wife, Dorothy, in 2006. He was divorced. She was widowed. And they both had Multiple Sclerosis. While receiving rehabilitative care at an Atlanta hospital, they connected. And at StoryCorps, the couple remembered what drew them to each other.