To say I am passionate about
finding a cure for ALS is an understatement. Watching the person you love, the
incredibly strong man that has been by you side for 20 years, the same strong
man you watched play football at the collegiate level, the man that you have
laughed with and cried with, the man that loves your children as much as you
do, when the doctor say, “you have ALS and there is nothing I can do to help
you”, is devastating. Keith was 37 when we got the diagnosis, little did we
know he wouldn’t make it to celebrate his 39th birthday. Caroline, our
daughter, was 9 years old and Mac, our son, just 5 when he passed away. It’s a
game changer and it impacted our lives forever.
Mission Statement for Project 2-4-20
After the formal diagnosis of ALS in Sept '07, Keith developed the
following mission statement:
The intent of Project 2-4-20 is to live
strong and to live well through February 4, 2020. The concept of merely
surviving until I am 50 years old and 1 day is not acceptable. Living strong
and living well encompasses remaining fit, remaining independent and remaining
productive. Living strong and living well also involves a healthy mental
outlook, a quality family life and a faith in god and cure. Failure is not an
option and self pity is expressly prohibited.
Good luck in crafting and living your own mission statement. God
Speed!
What is ALS?
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a progressive
neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal
cord. Eventually, people with ALS lose the ability to initiate and control
muscle movement, which often leads to total paralysis and death within two to
five years of diagnosis. Part of the problem with this disease is that there
are no survivors to continue the fight. Keith developed Project 2-4-20 so that
I could carry his torch and continue to fight to find a cure for this dreadful
disease. You become trapped in your body. You mind stays strong as you watch
your body eventually become useless. I really don’t know of a worse disease.
Continued awareness and fundraising for research is the key to
unlocking the extremely intricate code to the path to success in finding a
cure. There is absolutely no hope today but we are determined to change that.
It’s the only disease where you have no hope, no medicine to take, no chance to
survive. Everyone deserves a chance to fight.
Help Us Find a Cure
That’s why we need a walk in every city, especially this special
city I call home, St. Augustine. Every dollar we raise from this walk goes
directly to helping patients and research at the Mayo Clinic in Florida ALS
Certified Center of Excellence in Jacksonville, right in our back yard, where
they are beginning to make major breakthroughs.