LEWISTON — Last March, Steve Scott, 47, was in critical condition in intensive care, on life support, close to death.

Before he got sick, he was strong, a mason for a bricklayers’ union in the Boston area.

He suddenly came down with a severe pancreatic infection.

“The cause, they’re not sure,” said his wife, Linda Scott, chairwoman of the Lewiston School Committee.

Linda and Steve began dating when he was 17, she was 18. Through the years of their marriage and raising three children, when she grew anxious over sick children or unpaid bills, “he’d say, ‘Don’t worry about it. Believe in Steve.'”

The phrase, “Believe in Steve” became a rallying point as he lay unconscious in a hospital bed. “Believe in Steve” posters hung in the Central Maine Medical Center ward.

The community rallied around the Scotts with a “Believe in Steve” benefit breakfast April 2 at the Green Ladle. It was attended by hundreds.

Fast forward to a few days before Christmas 2016. Things are still rough, but better.

“Steve is stable,” Linda said. He is disabled, but he’s home, eating on his own, getting around and driving himself to appointments. “He’s in the recovery process. He can’t work. He can’t shovel.”

He’s scheduled for more surgeries in the spring and is undergoing physical therapy to build up his stamina.

Their son plays freshman football at Lewiston High School. Steve made every effort to get to the games, even though it tired him out.

“That’s the spirit of our family. We’re pretty lucky,” Linda said.

They are living on her paycheck from Sandcastle Preschool alone, which is difficult. Her husband was denied Social Security.

“We’re fighting that. It’s tough times. We do what we have to do,” Linda said.

What’s helped the family get through the trauma is support from the community, she said.

“The biggest thing for me and Steve is he wants to thank all the people who helped us this year. And it hasn’t stopped,” she said. “People keep coming up and saying, ‘How are you guys doing?’ I don’t think I would have made it through this year without all the support we’ve had. It’s been impressive.”

Linda said she saw the same outpouring of support when Lewiston Middle School eighth-grader Jayden Cho-Sargent died Nov. 3 after being hit by a truck as he walked to school. Within hours, the community rallied around the family in crisis.

“It is amazing,” Linda said. “This is the most loving and caring community I’ve ever experienced. This is what I want people to know about Lewiston-Auburn. We are there for our families, our community.”

Linda and Steve have been together for 30 years. That may sound like a lot to some people, she said.

“For us it’s a blink of an eye,” she said. “Every day it feels like a new beginning. We’re still here together.”

bwashuk@sunjournal.com

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