聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Carlyle's Fischer and Van Dresar families have been personally and profoundly affected by ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease or motor neuron disease) and as a result, have become ALS activists who will bring the 'Walk for ALS' to Carlyle on August 11, 2018.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Sixty-three year-old Gregg Fischer received a formal diagnosis of ALS nearly five years ago, but experienced symptoms for at least two years prior - after a frustrating search for answers. He says the upcoming Walk for ALS in Carlyle is important to him, because of the awareness it will bring to people about the disease.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥�(The Walk for ALS) raises funds for equipment, but it raises awareness, too,鈥� says Gregg. 鈥淚 have family support and not everybody has that, so the funding is important. But the majority of the public don't understand what ALS is and how it affects individuals and families.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Leanne Van Dresar agrees. Judy Van Dresar - the wife of former Carlyle resident, Dale Van Dresar and Leanne's sister-in-law - lost her battle with the disease last year in Grande Prairie, Alberta.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t's a horrible disease,鈥� says Leanne. 鈥淏ut both of our families are grateful for the continued support of everyone who has supported us through our different fundraisers. Last year in Regina at the Walk for ALS, our group, 'The ALS Avengers' was asked by the ALS Society of Canada to host a Walk for ALS in our area.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 According to the ALS Society of Canada: 鈥淎myotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also known as ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease or motor neuron disease) is a disease that gradually paralyzes people because the brain is no longer able to communicate with the muscles of the body that are typically able to move at will. Over time, someone living with ALS will lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, swallow and eventually breathe.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎LS is not contagious. There are no effective treatments for ALS and no cure. Approximately 80 percent of the people with ALS die within two to five years of being diagnosed.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 The Carlyle event is in the initial planning stages, but Gregg's wife, Debbie Fischer says it will be: 鈥淎 walk, run or wheel. To make it fully-accessible to everyone, we're planning to start off from the Carlyle Sports Arena, due to the rink's accessibility for people in wheelchairs.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲e plan on making it a family-friendly event for people of all ages and so far, we're planning distances of one, three and five kilometres,鈥� adds Debbie. 鈥淲e're encouraging families to come out and walk and to enjoy the day with us.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲e'll have four generations from our family out walking, as well as their friends. We want it to be a family kind of day,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd my mom, Shirley McNair is 84 and she's walked with us in Regina and she'll be walking in Carlyle, too.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎nd the Van Dresars will have a lot of their family there, too.鈥澛�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Funds raised from Carlyle's 'Walk for ALS' are especially important for the day-to-day assistance that is required when someone is living with the disease.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淩esearch is important,鈥� says Debbie. 鈥淏ut the ALS Walk will also loan equipment to people who are living with ALS as they go through the stages of the disease.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淔unds that are raised enable the ALS Society to help families experiencing ALS with big ticket items like outside lifts and lift chairs in their homes.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he ALS Society also has an inventory of big ticket items of stuff that you can borrow,鈥� says Debbie. 鈥淭hese items might be something that a person with ALS will use for a relatively short period of time, but as they go through a certain stage of the disease, they're really necessary - and often out of reach financially for a lot of people.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Gregg says his family and his community have been a support to him as he navigates his new normal.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲hen I first got in the wheelchair, I quickly found out which streets and sidewalks in Carlyle were accessible and which ones weren't,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 went to the town and they corrected it right away.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hey fixed it that same day,鈥� says Debbie. 鈥淎nd at our grandaughter's wedding in Elkhorn, Manitoba, all of the help from our family was just amazing.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 don't want to be treated special,鈥� says Gregg. 鈥淏ut it's okay to open a door, if a business doesn't have an automatic door or something like that. And it's okay to ask.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲ayne Wilson and the Lions Club made it possible for us to enjoy their fundraiser,鈥� says Debbie. 鈥淭hat's just one of the examples of how everyone has been super-good to us, but haven't hovered over us,鈥� says Debbie.
听听听听听听听听听听听 The Fischers and the Van Dresars are hoping that the support continues as they take their next step in the fight against ALS.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he ALS has brought us closer,鈥� says Debbie. 鈥淎nd if we ever need anything, Leanne and Tracy are right here for us.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎nd now, we're asking people to support us in our first-ever Walk for ALS in Carlyle,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e'll need volunteers, contributions of all kinds, sponsorship and for people from throughout the area to come out and help us make this fundraiser a success. Our goal is to raise $10,000 for the ALS Society.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎LS is a disease that impacts the whole family and we want families to come out and join us for Carlyle's first Walk for ALS.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 To learn more or to sponsor, volunteer or participate, contact Debbie Fischer by calling (306)-453-2798, texting (306)-577-8609 or by emailing [email protected] or Leanne Van Dresar at: (306)-577-8881 or [email protected]. Donations of $20 and over are tax-deductible.
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