Mary's Dream Lifts Off

Mary Bertch, of Brookdale Taveres, Florida first fell in love with hot air ballooning at a festival with her husband and son in the 1990s. Since then, she’d always dreamed of the celestial experience of riding in one up into the sky. By 85, her highenergy life had spanned journalism, teaching, time as a Brownie Den Mother, Girl Scout Troop Leader, and hospice volunteering. Despite mobility limited by neuropathy, she’d stayed optimistic, never losing sight of her ballooning wish.

On May 8th, 2015, TENA and Wish of a Lifetime took Mary and her long-time friend, Carol, on a glorious hot air balloon ride. “It was quite the thrill…It’s been over 20 years since I wanted to do this,” Mary said. “It truly was the trip of a lifetime. I can’t believe I really got to do it.”

Mary’s spirit of optimism lifted us all up to try new experiences, no matter what our age.