Sharing The Hope Of Ending A Devastating Disease
Get breaking news alerts

Katie McCall
Reporting

(CBS) Two distinctly different people share one common goal – to help raise money for and awareness of a deadly disease.

A 35-year-old mother of three is dying from ALS, while a retired business man is biking across the country raising money for several causes.

As CBS 2 North Suburban Bureau Chief Katie McCall reports, together they share the same hope for the future.

At 65 years old, retired Barrington Hills businessman Bob Lee is training for the ride of his life.

“What are we doing with the rest of our life? That's what this ride is about,” Lee said.

This month, he will ride 6,500 miles cross-country in what he's named A Ride for 3 Reasons.

“I get up every day and I go like this because some people can't,” he said.

The colon cancer survivor is riding to raise money for three charities, one of which funds research in the battle against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Lee carries in a locket the ashes of a friend lost to ALS.

“Do I get tired? Yes, I do, but I pat this [locket] and that's what gives me the power to do what I do,” Lee said.

During his training, Lee has reached out to a number of local people coping with ALS. He says they are his inspiration to keep riding.

Aimee Chamernik is one of them. The Grayslake mother of three was diagnosed with ALS 3 years ago. Her son Zach was a newborn and Amy was 35.

“I had no idea that this was coming,” she said.

She has two goals for the time she has left. The first is to cherish every moment with her children, and the second is to use her Web site to help others with ALS.

“So that there will be a day when a mom or a dad won't be going through what our family is going through now,” Chamernik said.

Lee's ride gives Chamernik hope that one day a diagnosis with ALS will not be as devastating.

Lee has just exceeded his goal to raise $200,000 for the charities.

http://www.askaboutaimee.com/
aimee website

http://www.3reasons.org/
The Ride for 3 Reasons


http://cbs2chicago.com:80/topstories...073173904.html