DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — In a room where many stories end, Trevor Storm’s begins.
As a hospice nurse in Central Illinois, Storm spends his days helping patients find peace and comfort in their final moments. But one patient—and one friendship—changed the way he sees life, and what it means to keep going.
“I think hospice is a really special place,” Storm said. “It’s where we bring meaning to life, even when time is short.”
That perspective shifted even more the day he met Greg, a longtime patient diagnosed with ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that slowly robs the body of muscle control. Greg has not been able to walk for years, but his spirit has never wavered.
Nor has that smile.
Despite losing the ability to move or speak, Greg communicates with Storm using an eye-tracking computer, his humor and kindness coming through loud and clear.
“Trevor is my special friend,” Greg wrote. His eyes communicate what his mouth cannot.
Over time, their visits became less about medical care and more about connection. The way Greg faced each day—with resilience, joy and grit—inspired Trevor to find his own challenge.
“I started thinking … what could I do, to push myself the way he does every single day?” he asked. “That’s when the idea of running a marathon came up. I’d never run more than a mile or two, but I thought … why not?”
Now, the hospice nurse is training for the Chicago Marathon, dedicating every step to Greg—and to the countless patients whose battles are often fought quietly.
“It gets hard—your body starts to ache, your joints hurt. But then I think about Greg. He can’t run. He can’t move. And yet he smiles. Every single time I see him,” he said.
For Trevor, it is not just about the race; it is about honoring the bond they have built, and the lessons he has learned through a career spent walking with people in their final chapters.
“You have to know your why,” he said. Trevor's 'why,' is Greg.
Greg, who has lived with ALS for eight years—far beyond the average expectancy—summed it up best:
"He took great care of me. Brightens my day when he comes and sees me. A very special friendship. I love him."
As the Chicago Marathon approaches, Trevor's finish line is not about time, but rather it is about heart, hope and the strength it takes along the way.
To support Trevor in his run, click here.
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