Walk to Defeat ALS
Check in: 8:30 a.m.
Walk begins: 10 a.m.
Georgia World Congress Center International Plaza
Distance: 2.5 miles
http://webga.alsa.org
Golf was one of Malan Blanchard’s passions.
But his days on the course are now over.
He can’t button his shirt without help, and he has to use a wheelchair. He has to eat mostly soft foods like mashed potatoes and soggy cereal.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS, upended his life.
But what it gave the 74-year-old Jasper man is priceless: an even greater appreciation for what he still has. That includes family and friends who will walk on behalf of him and others who have the progressive neurodegenerative disease Saturday during the annual "Walk to Defeat ALS."
His daughter will lead a team of more than a dozen people in the walk, and Blanchard said he plans to be there in his wheelchair cheering them on.
“People tell me that I’m an inspiration to them when they see me still smiling and getting out as much as I can,” he said.
The Georgia Chapter of the ALS Association expects to surpass this year’s fundraising goal of $575,000, to be used for research, treatment and a search for a cure. More than 2,000 people have signed up to walk, more than double last year’s participation.
Executive Director Sarah Embrow said the event has received a big boost from the hugely popular Ice Bucket Challenge, which became a viral sensation showing celebrities and regular folks dumping buckets of ice or icy water over their heads all in the name of fundraising for ALS.
In a way, it’s been “the perfect storm,” Embrow said.
“The timing seemed to work out for us,” she said. “The unexpected awareness that the Ice Bucket Challenge created for us helped our walk efforts.”
It’s estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans have ALS at any given time.
Essentially, Embrow said, ALS, which has no cure, affects how the brain communicates to the spinal cord. “The nerves start to deaden and, ultimately, in most cases, by the end of life you’re paralyzed in your own body but your mental functions may be fine,” she said.
Some patients are diagnosed in their 20s, but most are between the ages of 40 and 70.
Blanchard was diagnosed with ALS in 2013. The Vietnam vet and retired civil engineer said he was handed a book that detailed the various stages of the disease.
“The first stage is anger,” he said. “I honestly have not been angry that the Lord gave me this story.”
His wife, Joan, said changes in his physical state became more apparent. The weight on his 5-foot-11 frame dropped from 190 to about 163. He’s now about 126.
Before that, he used to have seizures, so he went to a neurologist for checkups on a regular basis.
As soon as his physician saw him, Joan Blanchard said, she knew what it was. The Blanchards, though, were stunned.
“We were shocked,” Joan Blanchard said. “We thought it might be cancer. My husband had never heard of ALS. I was familiar with it, but I didn’t know all about it. It came as a complete shock.”
The family started attending a support group in Marietta.
Today, Malan Blanchard can still take a shower and shave himself. But even that wears him out. “By the time he dresses himself, he’s exhausted and he has to lie down and get on the breathing machine,” his wife said. “It’s a cruel disease. “
He is curious about the progression of the disease. He wonders how it will run its course through his body.
But he’s steadfast in his support for the walk.
“Well, I tell you what, it’s not going to help me, personally, but I’m just so thankful that it will help somebody on down the way,” he said. “Hopefully, they will find a cure for this disease.”
His son tells him that in retrospect, he is pretty lucky because the disease struck so late in life. He was able to travel and spend quality time with his family and friends.
“Do I feel lucky?” he asked. “I guess I do.”
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