Miss Jefferson County 2024 Spreads Love to Veterans at Birmingham VA

Terry arrived at the Birmingham VA Medical Center with one goal in mind, to spread love to as many Veterans as she could reach. Equipped with her crown, sash and a heart decorated bag filled with Valentine cards crafted by elementary students from Leeds, Alabama, she set out, stopping door to door of each Veteran room she passed by. She needed no direction, as this unit was all too familiar. 

Stewart Simpson, Terry’s grandfather and a U.S. Army Veteran, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) a few years after Terry was born. Simpson has been battling the disease for almost 20 years and has received part of his treatment from the Safe Harbor unit at the Birmingham VA. 

“As his disease has progressed, it’s definitely gotten worse,” said Terry. “It’s been tough but everyone here at the Birmingham VA has helped to make it easier to bear. Even in the time we’ve spent here on the 6th floor, it was difficult, but the staff always had a smile on their face, and we knew they were there to help us. It made a lot of difference in the stay here.”

The love and compassion shown to Terry and her family while Simpson received treatment gave her the inspiration to bring that same love and compassion back. Only now, she has a much bigger voice.  

“I remember staying on the unit as a member of the family and how it was a difficult time. Now that I’m Miss Jefferson County, I have this platform to promote my initiative, Stomping Out ALS: One Step At A Time, in honor of my grandfather and also use it to bring joy to Veterans during Valentine’s Day. It means a lot. I know how my family felt during a difficult time and how much of a difference a small act of kindness can make. You never know what a Valentine’s Day card, a conversation or a smile can do for somebody and those small acts of kindness make the biggest difference.”

According to studies conducted by researchers at Harvard University and funded by the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health, Veterans regardless of branch or era are twice as likely to develop ALS. Terry’s goal through her initiative is to bring facts such as this to light to keep others informed about the disease so they can take their first step, no matter the size. 

“The idea behind Stomping Out ALS: One Step At A Time is that we can all take small steps to “stomp out” ALS because this disease has no cure. It only has a handful of FDA approved treatments and is a rare disease. If more people got behind this movement, supported it and took steps to increase awareness of it, anything can make an impact, no matter the size of the step that you take. If we all came together and took those small steps collectively, it would create huge action.”

Step by step, she happily walked the halls with a smile on her face and cards in hand. 

“Handing out a Valentine card may not seem like a big step, but I think it makes all the difference when going through a difficult period in your life.”