Patty and David Walman are hopeful that one day a cure for ALS will be found. Patty was diagnosed with ALS in 2004.

Fundraiser: Nurse now on receiving end of care

A Langley family joins forces to raise money and awareness for ALS.

by Poonam Bains

One moment she's curling with her husband and the next she's diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

On May 4, 2004 Patty Walman, 60, had to face the grim reality that she would be living with ALS for the rest of her life.

ASL is a rapidly progressive and ultimately fatal neuromuscular disorder that causes the degeneration of a select group of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. As the nerve cells die, people with ALS lose control of their muscles, which makes breathing, eating, even smiling almost impossible.

For several years, as a nurse at the Surrey Memorial Hospital intensive care unit, she took care of the sickest patients, but now Patty will be on the receiving end.

It wasn't until Patty fell several times while curling that she realized something was wrong.

She immediately went to see a neurologist and after a few tests, was diagnosed with ALS.

She tried to work after her diagnosis, but started feeling slight signs of weakness. Patty didn't want to jeopardize her colleagues or patients so she took early retirement at the end of 2004.

"I was a girl who was never ever sick," Patty said.

So it came as a shock to her husband David Walman, and their children Kylie and Mark, and Mark's wife Andrea.

"My family has been so wonderful," Patty said. "I'm unbelievably blessed to have such a wonderful family."

Before her diagnosis Mark and Andrea were living in Saskatoon, as soon as they found out, they immediately moved back home to be closer to Patty.

The two support Patty tremendously and this past Sunday, June 24, the two participated in the ALS Adventure Challenge which consists of a five-kilometre trail run, a 10-km mountain bike and two-km kayak at Belcarra Park in Port Moody.

Mark and Andrea raised $3,500.

Patty laughed as she said she would do it, but instead Patty is restricted to a wheelchair and can only stand up with assistance. So instead of the adventure challenge, she and David participated in the Walk for ALS on Saturday, June 16.

As she sat at her home in Tall Timbers, Patty was beaming with pride that her family raised $4,150 in pledges. Four of her classmates from nursing school also took part in the walk - two of them Patty hadn't seen since graduation.

"I was so touched," Patty said of everyone who walked for her. "It was amazing."

Patty was on the executive committee for the walk, but due to physical limitation was unable to make the trek herself.

"You'd be surprised how cold it gets when you don't move," she said.

The walk was the first that was held in the Fraser Valley. This year more than 200 walkers raised $40,000, at Mill Lake Park in Abbotsford.

"With such support, we are so encouraged that we'll be sure to make this an annual event," said Carole Sinclair, event co-chair.

The first participant to finish the walk was Abbotsford's wheelchair Olympian, Eugene Reimer, who came to support the event and was surprised to finish before any able-bodied walkers.

Other regions of the province that hold walks include Prince George, Kelowna, Nelson, Ocean Side and Richmond.

"We almost tripled our original expectations [at the Fraser Valley walk]," said organizer Joyce Regier, whose brother Ron Martens has lived with ALS for almost 10 years. Martens is the original founder of ABC Country Family Restaurants and operated 34 locations along with his wife Carole, when he was diagnosed in 1997.

Even though nearly 80 per cent of people with ALS die within five years of diagnosis, Patty is optimistic after meeting Martens.

"The only hope we have is research," Patty said. "I want people to donate, donate, donate!"

Approximately 3,000 Canadians live with ALS and two to three Canadians die daily from this disease.

ALS can strike anyone and does not discriminate against age, sex or ethnic origin.

David said his motivation to walk was his wife, but also to raise awareness.

"Once people know what ALS is they are empathetic," David said. "But people don't realize the cost, both financial and emotional."

Despite everything, David believes his family is fortunate because they can still afford to buy some of the equipment needed to take care of Patty. He recently purchased a wheelchair accessible vehicle so Patty could be transported.

David, also a nurse, has been staying home from work more often. As Patty's health deteriorates somebody needs to be with her at all times.

He's been using his extended health benefits of sick leave and holidays to be by her side, night and day.

Thanks to the ALS Society of BC, all of Patty's equipment has been subsidized.

Her $25,000 electric wheelchair, ceiling lift, toilet and bathing equipment is borrowed from the society.

The ALS walks across Canada help with research into a cure, said Joanne MacKinnon, ALS Society of BC communications manager.

"As of right now there is no cause and there is no cure," MacKinnon said.

Of the monies raised through fundraising, 40 per cent goes to ALS Canada and directly into a research fund. The remaining 60 per cent stays in the province to increase patient services.

To donate to the ALS Society of BC visit: www.alsbc.ca.

The society is only able to help patients through ongoing fundraising that the community does.

"If she didn't have the equipment she wouldn't be independent," David said. "Patty would be remarkably challenged."

Patients take one medication, twice daily, which is said to prolong the life of ALS sufferers.

Patty is optimistic that one day a cure will be found and until that day comes, she wants people to know what ALS is, especially that it can happen to anyone, at anytime.

"It melts my heart," Patty said about the love and support she's received from her husband. "We've been married 37 years and I don't want to leave him."
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