A few years ago, no one could have snatched Richard Thiede’s wallet and gotten away with it.
The former Marine and fitness fanatic was a tough guy who would have chased down the thief. Five years after being diagnosed with ALS, also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, that’s no longer possible.
“There’s nothing I can do,” Thiede said Tuesday afternoon at the Westin Peachtree Plaza. “I’m defenseless.”
Early Saturday morning, Thiede, 54, was in his motorized wheelchair when he was approached by a man who asked for a cigarette. Thiede says he didn’t hesitate and reached into the side bag on his wheelchair. At the same time, the stranger grabbed Thiede’s wallet from the bag and ran.
Thiede yelled, and others on Andrew Young International Boulevard tried to catch the guy, who ran to the Peachtree Center MARTA station and disappeared.
Thiede called Atlanta police, and officers responded moments later. But neither the wallet nor suspect was found.
Gone instantly were Thiede’s driver’s license, military ID, insurance cards and $180 in cash.
Thiede and his wife of 24 years, Lasca, will soon be moving from California to Atlanta, where Thiede will be participating in an Emory University research trial, he said. The couple has purchased a downtown loft, where they’ll live as soon as it’s made handicap accessible for Thiede.
Having his wallet snatched wasn’t on the trip agenda for the Thiedes. “He [the thief] caused a mess and it was so unnecessary,” Thiede said.
But if you’re feeling sad about Thiede’s recent luck, you can stop it right there. Thiede doesn’t feel sorry for himself, and others shouldn’t either, he says. He’s become an advocate for other veterans and those strickened with the disease.
“I’m happier now than I was when I got diagnosed,” Thiede said. “I’m a different human being than I was before.”
So far, Thiede’s disease has progressed slowly, and he knows how fortunate that makes him. Since his diagnosis, Thiede has met dozens of others with the disease, as well as other advocates who raise money for research and to help make life easier for those living with it.
Thiede has met former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason, who has ALS, and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose company contributes to ALS charities. He talks to elected officials about legislation to help those with conditions such as his. And, Thiede is working with Veterans Administration leaders to educate others about getting the assistance needed to live with the debilitating disease.
Don’t talk to him about dying when he’s doing so much to help others like him live, he says.
“I want to be part of the solution,” Thiede says. “It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever done.”
For more information about ALS or to donate to those with the disease, visit www.alsguardianangels.com or Thiede's fundraiser page.
About the Author
