Source: www.wset.com
Author: Ashley Singh

A Pittsylvania County man is dying, but he doesn’t know it. Stephen Kunze suffered a brain aneurysm 14 years ago. He has no short term memory.

Stephen was recently diagnosed with tongue cancer and his wife, Martha, says they don’t know how much time he has left. The only other choice she had, was to remove his tongue, but she couldn’t do that to him. He’d wake up every morning not understanding what happened. She made the decision to enter the final chapter of their love story.

Stephen thinks everyday is November 18th, 1996. That’s the day he suffered a brain aneurysm and lost his short term memory.

His wife, Martha, says it’s so severe that her husband can watch an episode of M.A.S.H, rewind it, and watch it all over again. It’s been like this for nearly 14 years.

“His memory will last for the amount of the conversation, as soon as the conversation changes it’s gone,” she said.

Last year, Stephen was diagnosed with tongue cancer.

“It gets very hard to look at him and tell him that yes, you are going to die because you can’t because it’s like learning. Every time you say it to him it would be like learning it for the first time, all over again,” said Martha.

Martha believes not knowing he’s about to die is what’s keeping him alive.

“He should be comatose in bed at those points but he’s still up walking around,” she said.

Lisa Adkins, a nurse with Liberty Hospice, checks on Stephen every week. The love she has witnessed is one of a kind.

“It takes a unique person. Martha is so strong and courageous and not a lot of people can do that,” said Adkins.

Martha looks forward to little things, like playing their wedding song, because she says Stephen remembers it well. She’s thankful for the time she has with him, for every hug, every kiss, every dance… could be their last.

“I know part of me will probably die with him because we’ve been together for 36 years and I love him,” Martha said.