My grandmother, Cheo To Ham, was born in China and lived to be 109 years young.

Grandma was in a nursing home in New York for many years. About six years ago, she was taken to the hospital with dehydration and a urinary tract infection. During this time, Grandma had lost her appetite and refused to open her mouth for feeding.

During her stay at the hospital, I noticed she would only accept nourishment through a straw. Concerned about her condition, her doctor recommended we put Grandma on a feeding tube, but we refused. Wanting the very best for my grandma and as a last option, I then took on the responsibility of cooking for her, preparing fresh homemade chicken or beef broth, grains, and lots of vegetables.

Each morning I would drop her food off at the nursing home. Each evening rain or shine, I would stop by to check on her, then go home, wash her containers and prepare her food for the next day.

At first when processing her food, I used my regular blender and it did not take long to find out that it was not able to handle our needs. A friend introduced me to Vitamix and life became much easier. Grandma was blessed to have the creamiest soups, vegetables, and fruits.

Grandma started to eat again, initially through a straw. From that process we gradually built up until we switched to a baby spoon. Grandma lived five more wonderful years and never did need the feeding tube.

The Vitamix was a blessing! Thank you to all the people who made my grandmother’s last years so full of joy and health.