After 46 years of teaching, Lois Albright retired, and she and her husband moved from their home in Brenham, Texas to Austin to be closer to family. Her daughters had been encouraging her to retire for many years, but she loved to teach.
“People who retire just get sick or have bad things happen to them,” Lois would say in response.
Just a few months after she retired, Lois was diagnosed with ALS in February 2017 – on Valentine’s Day.
Who would’ve thought?
ALS Texas commits to helping patients through recovery process
I’ve driven down I-45 toward Houston countless times, but this time was different.
Instead of normal business traffic, I was surrounded by trucks filled with bottled water, construction material, and other basic necessities. Pulling a load of supplies and medical equipment behind me too, I felt uneasy about what I would face when I crossed into Houston.
When I finally did so, one of the first things I noticed was that the devastation was different from block to block. We crossed one debris-lined street only to come upon another that displayed life as normal – houses untouched by the storm and people eating on patios outside of restaurants.
Three days before Christmas 2009, Turner Corbett’s family got the devastating news that his mom, Jennifer, had been diagnosed with ALS. Turner was just 12 years old.
Wanting to make the most of a difficult situation, in 2015, Turner created a benefit event that would raise money for ALS research. After running through some ideas with his friend Alex Doswell, they decided a dodgeball tournament would be the most fun and family friendly.
There are many ways, both big and small, to raise ALS awareness. Some people have used their filmmaking or public speaking talents to craft compelling stories of those living with this disease. From TED talks to award-winning documentaries, these videos inspire, educate, challenge and entertain viewers, while celebrating the lives of people with ALS and the contributions they have made.
Below are a few must see videos and films about ALS that are worth watching and sharing with family and friends.
Although children and teens are very unlikely to develop ALS, that doesn’t mean they aren’t affected by the disease. 85% of people who do have ALS report having children or grandchildren who are directly impacted. Coping with a parent or grandparent’s ALS diagnosis is never easy, but it is especially hard for children, who don’t have the same emotional maturity as their adult counterparts. Becoming a caregiver for someone is a difficult transition to make when you’re used to having that person take care of you. And since it’s unlikely that any of a child’s friends would have experience dealing with ALS, it can leave them feeling alone, with no one to really talk to.
For 361 days of the year, Terlingua, Texas is a ghost town. For the other four days, people pour in from across the world for the Original Terlingua International Championship Chili Cookoff. For the past 50 years, Terlingua has been the home of the world’s largest and most competitive chili cookoff.
What began in 1967 as a gimmick to promote Dallas Morning News journalist Frank X. Tolbert’s book A Bowl of Red has developed into an annual tradition, attracting chili cooks from across the world. The winner of the very first championship cookoff, Wick Fowler, was diagnosed with and passed away from ALS, and over 30 years after its start, the cookoff became a party with a purpose.
When Kristin Sedate’s father was diagnosed with ALS in 2014, she stepped in to serve as one of his primary caregivers. Read her story about their journey through ALS and what your donations meant to their family.
Sha Groves lost her husband Greg to ALS in 2014, but continues to be involved with ALS Texas to help those currently battling this disease. Read her story about their journey with ALS and how Buffalo Wild Wings stepped in to help.
Robert Gregory Groves, better known as “Greg,” was a lovely man. From our first introduction, he seemed very quiet. He loved to observe and was quite the jokester. He started his career at Buffalo Wild Wings in November 2005 as an Assistant General Manager in Rosenberg, Texas. He worked his way up to General Manager and then was eventually promoted to Regional Manager. The company was under huge growth at the time, and he knew he had found his home. He was responsible for opening up several locations in Houston and the surrounding area.
Bonnie Walsh has served the ALS Association of Texas in different roles since March 2003. She currently serves as the Regional Development Manager for the Southwest Region of the state, managing two Walks to Defeat ALS and Battle ALS with Flowers, as well as other development activities. Read her story about her time with the Chapter and how it’s affected her life – both professionally and personally.
David Cabe was diagnosed with ALS in 2015 and is an active participant in the Austin Walk to Defeat ALS as part of his team, Cabe’d Crusaders. Read about what participating in the Walk means for him and his battle with ALS.
As many of you know, I have ALS. This is a devastating disease. By the time I was diagnosed, it had already robbed me of the ability to walk unaided and was relentlessly taking away the ability to use my hands, swallow, speak, and breathe. But just knowing where to turn after my diagnosis was almost as daunting and overwhelming as the disease itself.