Christina Hall Remembers Client with ALS Who Never Got to See Her Home Complete: 'Her Memory Will Live On'
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HGTV
Christina and Josh Hall are honoring a client and friend who never got to see her home renovation complete.
In Thursday night's emotional episode of Christina in the Country, the couple take on a remodel for Christina's best friend and publicist Cassie Schienle's sister-in-law, Jessica Waldron, who suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a deadly neurological disease.
The projects at the Waldron home were intended to make the space more wheelchair accessible as the disease gradually diminished Jessica's ability to control her muscles. But after a hard-fought battle, Waldron died from the disease on Nov. 3, 2022 at age 39, before the home was finished. The Halls completed the work as planned for Jessica's husband Damon and children, Reese, 6, and son, Gray, 4.
"Tonight's episode of Christina in the Country is incredibly emotional and was a challenge for all involved. We lost someone near and dear to us while filming the remodel of her home," Christina wrote on Instagram Thursday alongside the photo above.
"She was the kind of woman that when she walked into a room, you noticed. She had that aura about her," Christina remembers of her friend, whom she first met at Cassie engagement party in March 2020.
Shortly after Cassie's wedding, Christina remembers that Jessica developed "drop foot" (difficulty moving the foot). In the year following, Jessica's symptoms had developed into "full blown ALS," which the HGTV star recalls "was the scariest thing I've ever witnessed."
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Towards the end of her caption, Christina writes how Jessica was hoping for a cure and fighting for the chance to walk again when she "passed away due to complications of ALS and never got to see her home remodel."
Josh also honored the late clinical psychologist's life with a heartfelt Instagram post.
"Jessica's spirit will forever live in this house for her family that she is survived by, creating memories just the way she wanted," he wrote in the caption.
He remembers how difficult it was watching the disease progress while working on her home, and how all they could do at the time was to "be her supporters and hope for a miracle," while also "trying to smile at her without showing our own pain seeing her suffer."
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE ahead of the episode, Hall shared, "This project was extremely difficult for me as well as the whole crew. At each monthly check in, we saw Jessica's health continue to decline. The last time I saw Jessica alive she was struggling to catch her breath as we were talking. I could see how much she was trying to be present and smile, but I also saw the fear and hurt behind her eyes.
She adds, "The last time we were together to shoot a scene I had to pretend to walk away and talk to someone about the project when in reality, I was in another room having a panic attack. I couldn't catch my breath because I felt so much pain knowing she didn't have much longer to live. Sadly, that was the last time I saw her."
Christina also spoke about why it was so important to go through with the home renovation as planned. "It is a huge loss for everyone who was blessed to have crossed her path. She was smart, funny, successful and she was a wonderful wife and mother. Although she never got to see her home remodel complete, it was her vision for her family and something I am proud to have done for them."
