Blog #4 - dealing with ALS

In this blog, http://jessemoralesjourney.blogspot.ca/2009/02/gearing-up-for-bettys-run-2009.html, the blogger, who goes by Jesse's girl, writes about the disease ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) and the struggle she has faced with having a dad who suffered from this terrible disease.

She started this blog to share her father's journey with friends and family, but I think she decided to continue writing the blog after her father passed away to continue raising awareness for ALS and Betty's Run for ALS which happens in Calgary every year.

She writes of feeling hopeless after her father was diagnosed with ALS because it is an incurable disease. She felt like there was nothing she could do about it, until they formed a group to run or walk for this cause.

She encourages her readers with this remarkable amount of money raised, and with their even larger goal the following year! 

She brings awareness to the great work that the ALS Society does in helping victims of this disease and the wonderful things that they provide to make life a little easier through such a hard time.

In the screen cap above she also tells us a little bit about her father and what kind of a man he was. She writes with such tenderness and love that it brings feelings of empathy and compassion for her and her family. I too have lost someone very dear to me to ALS, so as a reader I can relate to her and also remember the happy times with my loved one.

It is very hard to find hope and encouragement with such a devastating disease, but she manages to touch on some subjects that bring a bit of light to such a dark time. As a reader, if you were suffering from ALS I think that you would find some encouragement and relief in knowing that the ALS Society provides such useful and practical things during your struggle. I also think that it is nice to read about people who are going through the same things that you may be. It provides a sense of, "I'm not alone in this", which I think is so important when dealing with a disease like ALS. This blog also brings emotions of sadness and grief because of the writers loss, and because you know that everyone diagnosed with this disease eventually passes away. It is very sad to think about, but when you can find a hope like this reader and her father have, in their case it was their relationship with God, it brings a whole new perspective and feeling of encouragement.