Regular readers of Elder Chaplain know that people I hold dear have been stricken by ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), a progressive, deadly neuromuscular disease.  For some, like my friend Ron or my chaplain colleague Jack (profiled in Best. Life. Ever. and Operation Chaplain Splashdown), the journey from initial symptoms to diagnosis to death spanned less than a year.  My friends Bruce and his wife Lynette (pictured above), on the other hand, have endured over five years since diagnosis, and Bruce is still with us today despite severe disabilities.  All of these people have confronted this disease with unimaginable strength of character.  As Reader Steven commented, “May the great spirit we all share grant me such grace.”

Last winter five friends of Bruce and Lynette—Lisa, Patty, Wendy, Gayle, and I—who all came to know one another through mountaineering, committed to climb Mt. Olympus, the centerpiece of Olympic National Park, in Bruce and Lynette’s honor.  This climb will benefit ALS Northwest, a nonprofit that has provided Bruce and Lynette with life-sustaining support, supplying adaptive equipment (wheelchairs, bed lifts, etc.), and connecting them with a community of fellow ALS travelers.

The guiding theme of Elder Chaplain since its inception has been “Practicing Hope Amid Loss,” and I can’t think of a better way to put these words into action than to pursue this goal to benefit this cause.  ALS is a disease that, at face value, offers no hope—it progresses relentlessly and is virtually always fatal.  Yet the people I know who have been afflicted by this disease have each found ways to practice hope in spite of their diagnosis.  That, in turn, has inspired hope in all who have known them.

ALS Northwest, along with other affiliated organizations, has been a crucial source of hope for my friends, helping them live their lives to the fullest despite their ALS.  ALS Northwest also uses their resources to advance research for new treatments, with the vision of putting an end to ALS—offering hope that this horrible disease will someday no longer afflict future generations.

I want to invite you to join our team—Peaks With Purpose—by following our journey, by learning more about our stories, and if so led, by donating to ALS Northwest.  We are covering all of our own costs for the climb, so 100% of your donation will go straight to this amazing organization.  Bruce and Lynette have been tireless fundraisers for ALS Northwest ever since Bruce’s diagnosis, and it is an honor to carry this cause forward.

To learn more about Bruce and Lynette, please see my Elder Chaplain post Choosing Life, One Day at a Time. 

To visit the Peaks With Purpose fundraising page, learn more about ALS Northwest, and make a donation, please visit http://secure.alsnorthwest.org/goto/PeakswithPurpose. Thank you!