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Huntley family fights disease with tennis shoes Archive
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Huntley, IL -
Before Lou Gehrig's disease robbed 37-year-old Amy Roper of her ability to take care of herself,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Roper was an athletic woman who played soccer at the University of Wisconsin Greenbay and led an active adult life.
Roper, who grew up in Arlington Heights,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], met her husband,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Michael,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], while she was in college,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], when he made the trip to Northern Wisconsin to watch his sisters play soccer for the team Amy Roper played for.
Amy and Michael Roper fell in love,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], got married and moved to St. Joe,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Mo., where he got a job as a teacher and she worked as a probation officer.
Three years ago,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the couple received devastating news that would mean their lives would never be the same again. Facts about ALS:
Amy Roper was struck with ALS, a terminal neuromuscular disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and eventually leads to death. A cure for the disease has not yet been discovered, and although the FDA has approved a drug to slow its progression, the life expectancy of an ALS patient averages about two to five years from the time of diagnosis.
Michael Roper's mother,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Tina, who lives in Huntley with her husband,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Denney, said they were shocked at the diagnosis, which has left Amy Roper unable to take care of herself.
"She has to be fed because she can't even lift her arms,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]," Tina Roper said. "She had been in fabulous physical shape,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and was so young."
Although most people who develop ALS are in their 40s or 50s, it is occasionally seen in people in their 20s and 30s,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], according to the ALS Association. The average age at the time of diagnosis is 55.
This isn't the first time Lou Gehrig's disease has affected the Roper family. Last year, Ken Reckamp,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], a friend of the Roper family,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], passed away as a result of the disease. For the past three years,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], in an effort to promote awareness and raise money to fight the disease, the Ropers have been walking in the annual ALS Walk4Life along Chicago's lakefront as part of "Team Reckamp," in support of their friend.
Although a trip from Missouri to Chicago is too far for Amy Roper to travel,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the Ropers will be joined by Michael Roper,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], their daughters,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and other family members, to walk in memory of Ken and in support of their daughter-in-law in a newly formed team, "Amy's Army."
With Tina and Denney Roper leading the team as captains, they have set a goal to raise $1,500 for ALS research. The Ropers' neighbors in their Huntley community have contributed a generous amount to their cause, Tina Roper said.
Tina Roper sent out a letter in their neighborhood explaining about the disease and asking for donations. The response they received was overwhelming,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], she said.
"More than 80 percent of our neighbors responded with donations," she said. "It was marvelous - I cannot begin to tell you how thankful I am."
Last year ALS Walk4Life raised more than $840,000, and the ALS Foundation hopes to surpass that number this year, said Wendy Turner, executive director for ALS Walk4Life Chicago.
"We have high hopes for this year," Turner said. "Whatever we raise is very much needed for ALS research and care."
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