Bound together in sickness and in health

On Sept. 26, 1970, Dallas and Sharyl Herrick, were married at Trinity Lutheran Church in Austin.
The couple met in Hayfield at the bowling alley, where Dallas was in the parking lot with a good friend, watching a movie at the drive in, where he saw Sharyl walk out.
At that moment, he said he was going to ask her out one day.
And he did just that. Three years later and they were married.
Ever since then the Hayfield couple has been dedicated to each other through tough times and good times.
Over the course of their 49-year marriage that sentiment has been tested as they have had faced challenges head-on together.
The first challenge came in 1979, when Sharyl was diagnosed with cervical cancer.
After beating cancer for the first time, Sharyl was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997.
It was then that doctors discovered she had been living with MS for many years.
Despite some issues, Sharyl remained in pretty good health considering and anytime she went in for her cancer check-ups she came back cancer free.
After a serious infection about four years ago, including high fevers and sepsis, she had a long stay in the hospital and then the nursing home for PT. It ended with the loss of use of her legs.
Despite the mind blowing challenges, she never lost her sense of positivity, and the couple has grown stronger.
“She has a good positive attitude about things,” Dallas said.
Since she lost the use of her legs, Sharyl has had to depend on Dallas for more things, and there isn’t a task that he isn’t happy to do.
Because of the amount of time that they have to spend together, Dallas explained that one really good thing has happened.
“We’ve gotten much closer,” Dallas said.
The average day for Dallas begins around 4:30 a.m. when he wakes up and gives Sharyl her medication, which she needs to take every 12 hours.
After that, he gets ready for work and makes sure that Sharyl is comfortable and takes off for his job at Osh Kosh in Dodge Center.
Since Sharyl can’t be without someone for a long period of time, the couple hired an in-home nurse, Eric, who takes care of her during the day.
The couple considers Eric a godsend.
“Without Eric, it would be impossible for me to go to work,” Dallas said.
When Dallas gets home from work, he takes over the duties from Eric, first by giving Sharyl her medication at 6 p.m., making diner, and doing other chores around the house before bed.
Despite being at work for four to five days a week, Dallas feels comfortable doing so because of the support from Eric and his employer.
Dallas knows that if something happens to Sharyl while he is gone, his employer will support him going home at the drop of a hat.
“My employer is wonderful to me,” Dallas said. “They always tell me that family comes first,” he added.
Although their lives are much different than when they were younger and even compared to a few years ago, Dallas and Sharyl remain a happy and smiling couple through it all, something that any couple should inspire to be like.
“When we got married, we made a vow to be there for each other in sickness and in health,” Dallas said. “What she goes through is unbelievable. I don’t know if I could do it,” he added.