Progressive supranuclear palsy is a rare but deadly disease and although a South Florida woman lost her battle against S.P.S. she is now being remembered for a unique mission to deep space.
Before she died in 2021, Eileen Trautman created a lifetime of love.
“She is like my everything,” said her daughter Jennifer Trautman Levin.
In 2016, Levin said her mom was diagnosed with what doctors first believed was Parkinson’s disease.
In a few months, it became clear it was something more serious. She was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy which has similarities to A.L.S.
“They say that this disease is like you’re a prisoner in her own body because she was aware. I would say up and until the last few days in I.C.U. she was fully aware and that’s the torture part of this,” Levin said.
The brain disorder causes serious problems with walking, balance, eye movements, and later, swallowing. The condition worsens over time, leading to life-threatening complications.
“And she knew there was no cure but she accepted her illness more than I did,” Levin said
Her mom, a lifelong ‘Star Trek’ fan, dreamed of one day making it to space and Levin is now, in a way, making that dream come true. She found a company called Celestis Memorial Spaceflights that fills special small capsules with D.N.A. or cremated remains and launches them into space.
“There’s a large group of people that when they hear this they say ‘Yes, that’s exactly what I want to do with my ashes,” said Celestis President Colby Youngblood.
Youngblood said as access to space flight has increased, so has interest in the program.
He said depending on the type of ‘journey’ desired, the cost can range from $3000-$13,000, which he said is in line with the cost of funeral costs in the U.S.
Through this unique memorial, Levin is comforted to be able to fulfill her mom’s wishes of reaching that final frontier.
“I wish I could have told her, ‘Look Mom I’m going to do this for you.’”
While a part of Eileen Trautman will be heading to space in the planned launch from Cape Canaveral on Monday she left a lasting impact here on Earth.
Along with participating in a clinical trial, she donated her brain to the Mayo Clinic to help researchers uncover clues about Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and, potentially, find a cure.
To support research into P.S.P. go to www.psp.org. To learn more about memorial spaceflights go to www.celestis.com.