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ALS WINNERS - THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
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November 2018

Dear PALS and caregivers,

With some of the challenges we have faced this past year, we felt it would a good time for me (Kim) to take the lead and write what I hope will be an inspirational message for our November update.

One of the greatest challenges we faced in life came with the diagnosis of ALS.  It has been our great privilege to be associated with hundreds of PALS who are currently at some stage of their battle with the ALS diagnosis, the threat of a diagnosis, or some other major health issue.

If you have spent time on our website, you already know that we do not claim to have the magical answers to help others stop, or even reverse the symptoms of this disease, as I have done. We can only tell you what we have done and pray that you have similar results.  I would say that of all the dozens of things that we have incorporated in our battle, possibly at least half of them have had no positive effect.  I wish I knew which half we could have dismissed. 

As we have clarified numerous times, we believe the greatest power in our fight has been the power of a positive mental attitude.  An integral part of this philosophy is the spiritual strength and trust in our Savior, Jesus Christ, that has been a constant companion, despite our faults and shortcomings.

At a recent church conference, a brother shared the story of an Englishman named John Henry Newman.  In 1833, as a young priest, he was traveling in Italy where he became ill and was detained for a number of weeks longer than anticipated.  Eventually, he was able to leave and found passage on a small boat.

Not long after the ship set sail, the breezes dropped, and the ship became engulfed in fog.  With no wind, the ship was stalled for a week in that damp gray darkness. In that bleak situation he pled for help as he wrote these words: (Lead, Kindly Light, Wikipedia)

Lead, Kindly Light, amidst the encircling gloom
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me

As we face the challenges and trials of life, or more specifically, ALS, we must place our trust in our Heavenly Father, believing that He will give us enough light to see the next step.

Having passed the sixth anniversary of our diagnosis, we were feeling confident all was well.   A new set of trials resurfaced when a sepsis infection from a placed IV port lead to three months of IV infusions, several mini strokes, 11 weeks of hospitalization, and a second open-heart surgery in late June of this year.  Though I have some debilitating issues with these latest challenges, the outpouring of love and support from countless friends and associates has lifted us up and on, believing that all really will be well.

From the words of other church leaders, To all who find themselves in the thick fog and darkness of depression, which can so easily come with the ALS battle,  the words of the hymn, “Lead Kindly Light” remind us that when all is dark…when our own personal ship is stalled with no wind in our sails…there is an unfailing and kindly source of divine guidance, power, and light. It is the “light of the world” (John 8:12).  It is our Savior, Jesus Christ. He came to dispel all darkness. He is, “a light that shineth in a dark place” (2 Peter 1:19). The Lord said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life”.

Though the struggles we have faced this past 7 or 8 months are not yet fully resolved, I am confident I can find the courage and strength to face them.  The beauty of hymns and other music, and the love and support of countless friends and family are crucial to moving forward when we cannot see the distant shore, knowing that one step is enough.  It is our prayer that each and every PALS have the strength, the love and support, and the faith to do the same.

Kim Cherry
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