Plano

Couple's RV Stolen as They Prepare for Final Road Trips Amid Alzheimer's Battle

After his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Nick Druga purchased and renovated 'Joyce's Dream' to make a few more memories together

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For Nick and Joyce Druga, memories and the moments making them are precious.

“Right now, she knows who I am,” said Nick Druga.

Next year, the couple will celebrate 60 years of marriage.

During that time, they welcomed three kids and five grandchildren and shared plenty of good times, and sometimes, bad.

In 2020, Joyce was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

"She'd forget where she put her purse. She'd forget where she put her keys. She'd forget where she put her glasses,” said Druga.

For now, Druga has managed to keep them both in their Plano home, surrounded by reminders of the past. But he said, the day's quickly coming when that will no longer be possible.

With a move to an assisted living facility, where the couple can have more help, looming, Druga bought a used recreational vehicle and got to work renovating it for a few final trips.

"I had decals put on it, 'Joyce's Dream,'” he said.

In just a week and a half, the couple was set to leave for their first stop to Big Bend.

"I thought what I'd do is just make a photo album of all the places we travel and take lots of pictures and stuff. So when we do go to a home and settle ourselves down and finally take a break, we can just finally sit back and look at all the places we've been. It sounded like a good idea, at the time,” said Druga.

Tuesday, Nick said he returned home from a trip to the store to find his driveway empty.

'Joyce’s Dream' was gone.

"Mentally, someone can steal someone's dream. But physically, to see someone steal your dream, that's quite emotional,” he said.

Plano Police are investigating the theft of the 29-foot Atlantis RV, which was taken between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Tuesday.

According to Druga, toll tags helped investigators last detect the RV exiting onto US-75 south from the President George Bush Turnpike.  

Knowing just how precious time is, the Drugas remain hopeful someone will come forward.

"It's a tough road right now, but we’re going to make it,” said Druga.

Anyone with information is asked to call Plano Police.

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