Grandma's Response To Terminal Diagnosis Shocks Her Family

If you only had one year to live, what would you do with it? When you take away the “if,” that question becomes much less fun to answer. When Norma Bauerschmidt's fatal diagnosis forced her to consider that scenario for real, her unusual response took her on an adventure that was a whole lifetime in the making.

Meet Norma

If you had seen Norma Bauerschmidt in passing, you probably wouldn’t have paid her much attention. With her thick glasses, fluffy gray-white hair, and kind smile, she looked like any ordinary grandmother. But in her old age, she became a bona fide hero.

Happy Couple

Norma’s family always knew she was special. At 90 years old in 2016, she had walked to the beat of her own drum, usually with her husband by her side. In fact, the couple had defied expectations their entire lives.

Ohio Origins

Norma hailed from Ohio, and it was clear early on that she craved adventure: Her nose was always buried in a book, and she went on imaginary adventures all over the world. And the older she got, the more she yearned for something beyond her quiet Midwestern life.

WWII Nurse

Her wish ended up coming true, just not in the way she'd hoped. When World War II arrived, she became a nurse with the U.S. Navy. It was exhausting but exciting work, and for the first time, she felt like she was doing something worthwhile.