Walk to Defeat A.L.S.

A few weekends ago I participated in a walkathon for A.L.S., a/k/a Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Lou Gehrig’s is a disease that is very near and dear to my heart, as I lost a brother to this crippling, fatal disease.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a degenerative, neuromuscular disease that strikes without warning and without family history. There is no known cure or effective treatment for this devastating illness. As the disease progresses, a person’s body can become completely paralyzed while the mind and sense remain unaffected. Simple tasks such as talking, walking and eating become increasingly difficult and then impossible as the body’s muscles waste away.

We were a family of six children, and my brother, Randy, was just 15 months older than me. I have always been very close to my sister and all my brothers, but he holds a special place in my heart. He was one of those super nice guys with a great personality. Everybody liked him. I remember one girl signing his high school yearbook saying that he was the type of guy who would give you the shirt off his back.

Randy was an avid hunter and fisherman. His true love was deer hunting. He looked forward to opening day of deer season like a child awaiting the arrival of Santa. He loved deer camp, sharing with his dad, brothers and friends all the memories from deer seasons past as they sat around the campfire.

Randy continued to hunt each deer season after being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s at the age of 36. Every year became more of a struggle for him to fulfill this annual celebration, but he was determined each year to continue this beloved tradition.

The last deer season of his life, my brothers set him up so he was able to hunt from the cab of his truck, parked alongside an opening into a field known for lots of deer movement and activity. They designed a prop for his gun to rest on, and one of my brothers sat beside him to assist if he felt he needed help.

Unfortunately, he was never presented with a shot at a deer that year, but I’ll never forget the smile on his face as he retold the story of the big one that got away. It was the memories that he loved the most.