ANN-MARIE MURRELL
AUTHOR, JOURNALIST, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, AND NATIONAL SPEAKER
At the encouragement of the late Andrew Breitbart, in 2009 Ann-Marie became the first reporter to film conservative political events in Los Angeles. Soon after, Ann-Marie was the co-host of the first (and only) conservative webTV talk show, “PolitiChicks” and for over 12 years, she was the editor and co-owner of the PolitiChicks website. Her work with PolitiChicks was carried by hundreds of news outlets across the nation. Ann-Marie is co-author of two best-selling books, What Women Really Want (written with actress Morgan Brittany and Dr. Gina Loudon, #1 in ‘Women in Politics’ on Amazon) and PolitiChicks: A Clarion Call to Political Activism (#3 ‘Women in Politics’ on Amazon).
During Ann-Marie’s political years, she was a regular political commentator on various television and radio programs, including appearances on Huckabee, The Dr. Phil Show, various FOX News programs, CNN, MSNBC, the Dennis Prager Show, and she guest hosted several times on One America News. Dan Bongino has publicly cited Ann-Marie as having given him his start in social media. From 2010 to 2018, Ann-Marie and her PolitiChicks co-owner, Morgan Brittany, toured across America speaking at various political events. In 2018 she had a small part as a reporter in the pro-life film, ‘Gosnell’, directed by friend Nick Searcy. Since 2014, Ann-Marie has been an on-camera reporter for the annual Happy Trails Film and Television Festival in Roanoke, Virginia.
Ultimately, Ann-Marie left everything behind to become a fulltime caregiver for her parents, which she did until both of them died (her father in 2020, mother in 2022), followed by her sister, Lisa, who suddenly died of Pancreatic Cancer in 2025.
Ann-Marie published a series of caregiving books, Walking Each Other Home: A Caregiver’s Journey of Graceand Walking Each Other Home: A Caregiver’s Devotional (along with a caregiving journal). After being diagnosed with COPD and Early Onset Alzheimer’s, she was even more determined to promote the importance of caregiving—not only for the world, but now to someday help her own children.
Walking Each Other Home
ANN- MARIE MURRELL
If you’re a fan of classic movies and television, you've likely noticed how often they reflect the deep-rooted values of family, faith, and respect for elders. In generations past, welcoming aging parents and extended family members into the home wasn’t just accepted—it was seen as a sacred duty. In The Grapes of Wrath, the Joad family journeys across the country with their grandparents and uncle, bound together by love and shared hardship. In Meet Me in St. Louis, Judy Garland’s family lovingly includes their grandfather in daily life. And think of The Waltons without Grandma and Grandpa Walton, The Andy Griffith Show without Aunt Bee, or My Three Sons without Uncle Charlie—it just wouldn’t be the same.
When I was growing up in the 1970s, multigenerational households were declining and at the same time, the U.S. nursing home industry grew by 140%. (1)
I was in California in 2017 when both my parents were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I was married, lived in a beautiful hillside home overlooking all of Los Angeles. I had a glamorous speaking career and a life filled with celebrity parties and red-carpet events. From the outside, it was picture-perfect.
But when my parents’ health rapidly declined, everything suddenly changed. I got down on my knees one night and asked God for guidance, wisdom and discernment far beyond my understanding. And God answered. Miraculously, I was given a dream or “vision” so clear and powerful that it woke me out of a sound sleep. The message provided me with all the answers I desired, and I felt healed in ways I didn't even know were necessary. I saw how hollow my so-called easy life had become in comparison to what really mattered. Once I recognized this, like the turning of a page, my soul became calm–and I knew. I had to go home to Texas. (2)
Of course, there were difficulties. Following God’s path meant letting go of almost everything I’d known before. What I learned is that when I finally stepped aside and let God lead, the difference was like going from darkness to light. I learned how to listen, to pray without ceasing, and how to see the signs God placed before me. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t lonely anymore; the God-shaped hole in my heart was filled.
During those five years of caregiving, I kept detailed journals that became the foundation of my book, Walking Each Other Home: A Caregiver’s Journey of Grace and its companion devotional. My goal is to offer practical, heartfelt guidance to others walking a similar path and explain how God showed up through it all.
In 2024, I too was diagnosed with COPD and Early Onset Alzheimer’s. So these books are no longer just for other caregivers, but for my own children—for when I can no longer tell them this story myself. My prayer is simple: that our elderly loved ones will be cared for—with love, dignity, and presence—by the people who love them most.
Footnotes:
1. In the 1970s, multigenerational households were declining due to rising divorce rates, women entering the workforce, and shifting family dynamics. In 1975 after my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s (or what was then called senility), my family had to place her in a nursing home because they both worked full-time. Today, over 71% of Baby Boomers still have one or more living parents or grandparents. More than 1.2 million older Americans live in roughly 15,000 nursing homes across the U.S., many of them placed there not out of necessity, but out of fear or uncertainty.
2. My friends in the industry were stunned, acting as if I had become a martyr for giving up so much. But that mindset is all too common in today’s culture—where self-help and self-love often replace self-sacrifice, and honoring others is considered optional, even outdated.