Friends, family organize benefit for
former teacher dealing with multiple sclerosis

One day, one of Ellen Eifert’s students asked her, “Mrs. Eifert, why do you have to hang onto the wall?”

She didn’t realize that she was putting a hand on the wall to steady herself as she walked students to and from their rooms so she could help them with speech problems. There had been other signs, of course, dragging her foot when she walked, especially when tired.

The diagnosis would change her life �” multiple sclerosis.

It’s an ugly disease. The nerves of the body, those transmitters of the electric messages from the brain to every part of the body, are encased with myelin fibers. These fibers coat every nerve ending and with MS, the fibers deteriorate.

“It’s like the covering coming off electric cords, exposing the bare wires,” Ellen’s husband, Tim, explains.

The muscles don’t get the message to move, to flex, to pull or push. The brain tells a muscle to do something like lift a foot, and the foot muscles remain uninformed so the foot is dragged along. Fine motor skills are the first to be affected.

Although Ellen’s MS was diagnosed with a spinal tap in 1995, the disease is more often diagnosed with an MRI of the brain. When lesions are found indicating the presence of MS, the size and number are tracked to chart the progress of the disease. The disease is manifested differently in each individual who has it, lending itself to a wide range of symptoms and treatments.

After her diagnosis in 1995, Ellen continued to teach, trying to stretch out her career to its maximum. She traveled to schools in rural Dodge and Saunders counties, helping children overcome speech problems.

The time arrived when it was too much. She decided to cut back her hours. Then, after

27 years of teaching, she had to leave it behind. Her decision to try part-time work came back and hit her hard. The disability insurance for which she had been paying for

18 years based her benefit amount on her earnings when she was only working part time. The Eiferts took the insurance company to court and won their case in District Court. The Appellate Court overturned the earlier decision.

It still galls her.

“If you need to take disability,” Ellen advises, “don’t try to cut back to keep your job, just take full disability.”

Right now, Ellen is recovering at Immanuel Health Center Rehabilitation Center in Omaha after three surgeries and four weeks at Nebraska Medical Center left her flat on her back. It has been a difficult and painful time for her.

MS patients often have cognitive problems after anesthesia; their rebound time is longer because of the brain message characteristics of the disease.

“She’s pretty well lost the use of her legs,” friend Marla Brabec says, so she needs a wheelchair. And Tim just bought a van with a lift.

He retired from teaching mathematics and science to seventh- and eighth-graders at Logan View School to help care for Ellen.

They both left lots of friends behind when they quit teaching. Now, these friends, knowing that the Eiferts are faced with staggering medical bills (insurance never seems to cover everything), equipment needs (perhaps a motorized wheelchair, home hoist and other medical appliances) and house remodeling (modifications for accessibility and lifestyle issues), are holding a benefit to help with those bills and expenses.

Ellen has been able to maintain pretty good spirits through this last ordeal. She had some low days in the hospital, but, Tim said, “she’s feeling perky now.” Ellen has begun to eat more and is almost ready to come home.

The benefit will be a soup and pie dinner held at First Lutheran Church, 3200 East Military Ave. Food will be served continuously from noon to 4 p.m. Nov. 16. A freewill donation for the dinner is requested. There will also be silent auction items and perhaps even some live entertainment.

It won’t be Tim singing though.

“I got kicked out of choir,” he remembers. “I thought it was because I was acting up, but the teacher said, ‘Tim, you just can’t sing.’”

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will provide supplemental funds for the event.

Friends and former students have found ways to support the Eiferts.

Tim taught Nancy Popken Hank at Logan View. Hank recently competed in the MS Valero Bike to the Beach Ride from San Antonio to Corpus Christi, Texas. She rode to honor Ellen and Ellen’s name was placed on the “Honor Board” with others who suffer from the effects of this disease.

“She’s ready to come home,” Tim states firmly. “She’s a strong woman. Ellen has maintained a great attitude throughout this whole ordeal.”

And Ellen says, “You always play the hand you’re dealt.”

This hand’s a doozy and it’s going to be tough. They are both determined to continue to live well and primary to living well is the loving support of family and friends who want to do everything in their power to help the couple for whom they care so much.