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The love between Doherty, 84, of Brown City and her daughter Finkbeiner, 57, has only gotten stronger over the years.

The pair endured polio that Finkbeiner contracted at a young age. Finkbeiner grew up on a Brown City farm on Stiles Road that her mother, Evelyn, and father, Carl, still live on today.

Finkbeiner was the middle child of 10 Doherty siblings and was different because she contracted polio at the age of 3 at Christmas time. She had her first surgery at age 7.

"I asked if there was another doll under the Christmas tree because I was seeing delusions," she said. "I had a fever and couldn't walk."

Her parents were told their daughter would never walk again, but they refused to accept that fate.

"My parents were busy on the farm. At that time, I had three older sisters and twin brothers, but my mom took the time to drive me three times a week to Farmington Hills where the best doctors were," Finkbeiner said. "At night, my mom would put hot packs on my legs."

As if having to withstand the pain in her legs and back weren't hard enough, her polio led to three or four surgeries and having to wear bulky braces on her legs. Other kids were cruel and made fun of her braces, but her twin older brothers stuck up for her and protected her.

"I know there were times she had to listen to people make fun of her," Evelyn said. "She cried quite a bit, but we told her she was lucky she wasn't in an iron lung."

The hot packs and therapy helped as Finkbeiner got better. "Physicians said it was my Irish determination and my parents that made the difference," she said.

Today, Finkbeiner has some weakness in her legs from her polio, but it doesn't prevent her from leading an active life.

Now that Finkbeiner is a mother herself, she realizes the sacrifices of her mother financially, emotionally, and spiritually in caring for her.

"She always had a smile, supper on the table, and never missed church," FInkbeiner said. "My mom and dad were mentors. I had family support and faith in God."

Finkbeiner will be flying home from a wedding in California today (Mother's Day) with her mother and wanted to say to the family's matriarch: "I love you mom and will never be able to repay you for what you did for me. I'll be flying all day with mom on Mother's Day and it doesn't get better than that."

Jennifer Decker can be reached at (810) 664-0811, Ext. 8125 or jennifer.decker@lapeergroup.com.