Family Matters
Martha and Don Tuffli met as teenagers and began dating in the 1940’s in Los Angeles. Their relationship was a friendship and love so true. “Soul mates”, is how their
granddaughter Christy describes Martha and Don, “they have been best friends their whole life.” When it was time to begin college, a cross-town collegiate rivalry could not keep Don, a USC Trojan, and Martha, a UCLA Bruin, apart. They married in their early twenties and set their roots deep in the Los Angeles community. A lifetime of love and commitment were all the ingredients Martha and Don Tuffli needed to make their family blossom. Together the Tuffli’s raised three daughters. Today that family has grown to eleven grandchildren and two great grandchildren with more on the way!
The Tuffli’s good health and appreciation of the great outdoors spurred them to take their children on many adventures. “We’re outdoors people”, Don firmly states. “We love to ski, golf, water ski and play tennis”. Martha fondly recalled a trip to Lake Powell in the early 1960’s. “Five people in a 13-foot Boston Whaler made for a great adventure!” laughed Martha. She believes that trip, and the many that followed, was where their daughters learned to rely on each other – a thread that would be woven even deeper as their children grew older and started their own families.
In 2004, the Tuffli’s faced some difficult news. Their then 22 year-old granddaughter Christy, a senior at BYU, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. “We couldn’t believe it”, said Martha and Don, “our family had always been blessed with such good health…we just wanted to fix it”. Immediately, the Tuffli’s daughter Laura, Christy’s mother, wanted to learn everything she could about MS and what was being done to cure the disease. Martha and Don remember Laura’s level-headed approach to the confusing disease. Laura visited the Society’s website (www.nationalmssociety.org) and was impressed with the extensive and varied research that was being conducted. After personally contacting and visiting the Southern California and Utah Chapters, Laura reported back to Martha and Don that “funding the research being conducted by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is the way to go”.
The Tuffli’s were one of the first families to support the Promise 2010’s Nervous System Repair and Repair Initiative back in 2004. The Tuffli’s knew this campaign would be important to the future of the disease. They liked that the scope of the research – for both short term and long term – had well defined parameters. They were impressed that the campaign was host to some of the best and brightest MS researchers in the US and abroad and that there was a commitment to share knowledge and collaborate among funded researchers.
The bond between Martha and Don and their granddaughter Christy is evident. The Tuffli’s describe their granddaughter as “bright, shining, and energetic”. Similarly, Christy describes her grandmother Martha as “brilliant, gorgeous, and gracious, the kind of person who makes you find everything in the world worthwhile” and her grandfather Don as “the person who has always been able to make me feel important and successful.” Christy goes on to describe her grand parents as “classic” with a simple explanation: “there is a reason why something that is classic is always good. It has integrity, and that integrity never changes. Classic is something everyone enjoys, and gets better and better every year!”
When asked for her favorite memory of her grandparents, Christy quickly and easily replies, “Just one?” It’s an answer that speaks volumes. Christy proudly states, “My grandparents have lived exemplary lives. They have worked hard and been honest. They have also enjoyed life to the fullest. I have learned from my grandparents that hard work is good for a person and that I shouldn't expect things to be handed to me. I can do and achieve anything I want. Because of that, I won’t let this disease define me; I get to define who I am. I try and live the way I’ve always wanted to, with just a few alterations. I remember that I am a little different, but I do not let this diagnosis control me. ” It’s this kind of determination of spirit and will that drives Christy…that and the fact that “fresh squeezed grapefruit juice is the best way to start a morning”…a life long ritual of Don’s that Christy admires and loves.
“We have been so impressed with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society”, said Martha and Don. “We appreciate all the newsletters and research updates. We really feel like we have been kept informed. We applaud all the research that is being conducted on behalf of people, like Christy, who are living with MS. “The National Multiple Sclerosis Society means hope”, asserts Christy. “I am so grateful to the people who are researching and studying and doing all they can so my life can be that much better. The National MS Society represents a future for me – I believe I will be able to enjoy that future just as easily as anyone else.”
“The Tuffli family has been so exemplary in their response to the painful challenge of multiple sclerosis”, said Leon LeBuffe, President of the Southern California Chapter. “I love how Laura did her research for three generations. I admire greatly Christy’s courage and sensible outlook. Love and generosity characterize all that Don and Martha do!”
Christy is so appreciative for everything her family has done to help her live well. In spite of the unpredictability of MS, Christy remains positive because of the strength of her family unit. Martha and Don’s family is what matters most in the world to them. In fact, it’s how they define themselves. When asked, “What do you think defines your family?” their answer was quite simple: “There is nothing more important than family.”