Lying in her bed alone, Ann Sternberg is oblivious that her family has abandoned her. The 91-year-old Alzheimer patient wastes away while her family tries to hold on to the memory of Ann when she used to serve cocktails at 6 o’clock and host extravagant Christmas parties every year.

No more than one mile down the road, Herb Sternberg lays in the bed he used to share with his wife Ann while trying to maintain his hope that she will remember his face when he visits her in the morning.

For the past four years, Herb has learned how to be a bachelor all over again. At 92 years old, he is the product of decades of loving care from a wife who learned her womanly duties from Better Homes and Gardens. The transition hasn’t been easy for Herb who has had to teach himself to shop, cook, clean house and take care of himself all the while realizing that his wife of 71 years doesn’t know that he exists.

The first time I heard about Herb and his wife, I was on the wrong end of an angry phone call. My editor had forwarded a call to me from an irate reader who was upset that we didn’t cover a holiday party at his wife’s care facility. After listening to how Herb loved the people who cared for his wife, and listening to what he had gone through over the last few years, it occurred to me that this was a story that was told a million times, but I wanted to show what Herb was going through. Not only how this affected his wife, but what drastic changes were taking place in his life.

What ensued was a crash course in photo stories 101. I made all million mistakes. And I’m sure I’ll make a million more, but that’s what progress is about and I can see how this first long-term project has helped me in my other stories.

Jerome Pollos traveled the world in the military before finding his life calling in photojournalism. Now, after more than six years finding his niche in visual storytelling, Jerome has found a home in the Northwest covering its people and culture. People who have been affected by Alzheimer’s, those who boogied down at proms for people with special needs, pow wow dancers, tribal horse racers, rodeo bronc riders and people with big trucks and gun racks have shined their light through Jerome’s viewfinder. He has been published in a number of news and trade magazines. Based in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Jerome is available for coverage throughout the Northwest. His work can be seen at JeromePollos.com