DANVILLE, Ky. (LEX18) — Alin Easter is, by all accounts, a pretty laid-back guy.
"Alin's just kind of a chill dude. He just- I mean you met him he's pretty laid back. He's just, he makes everyone happy. He always has a hello and smile for people," Robin Raboner, a senior care worker, said.
Easter lives at Walker's Trail Senior Living, where he battles Parkinson's disease — an illness that has slowly taken things from him that others take for granted.
"It's just a disease that robs you inch by inch of things that are easy for everybody else," Raboner said.
Among the things it has taken is his love of flying. Easter earned his pilot's license at 16 years old and spent 15 years as a Civil Air Patrol pilot.
"The disease makes it impossible to do the things I always used to do," Easter said.
But Saturday was different. On Saturday, Easter got to sit in the cockpit one more time.
"I had a wonderful time in a small airplane. Enjoying myself to the max," Easter said.
Walker's Trail selects one resident each month to participate in its Live a Dream program, giving them a day to do their favorite thing or visit their favorite place.
When asked about the experience, Easter struggled to find the words — but the smile on his face and the shine in his eyes, surrounded by family and loved ones, said everything.
"Oh that's- that's the feeling. That is such a..." Easter said.
For the staff, moments like this are a reminder of why the work matters.
"Just the happiness of him today makes everything worth while. Makes coming to work worth while," Raboner said.
