Making sure his life has purpose



Brad Burke
CUE CARDThursday, July 5, 2007



Bob Kieser recalls a time when his friend and fellow musician Tom Nelson could make crowds stand and cheer.
No, not cheer. Howl.

Nelson, who for years played resophonic guitar and other instruments with various central Illinois bands, would often serenade audiences with a tune Kieser describes as "The Dog Song."

"When you would walk into a bar, Tom would be playing 'The Dog Song,' " said Kieser, a former president of the River City Blues Society. "The whole bar would be howling."

These days, Nelson doesn't play music anymore. He can't play it, nor can he stand or speak or breathe on his own.

Yet, through sheer determination and selflessness, Nelson is still giving audiences a reason to cheer. Or maybe even howl.

First, some history. Nelson spent more than a decade playing with central Illinois bands like the Flying D'Rito Brothers and Doc Rodgers and the Rock Dodgers. But in 2001, he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the crippling disorder known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Nelson noticed the effects almost immediately. His mind stayed lucid, but his body slowly became paralyzed. Now, six years after he was diagnosed, the 64-year-old Nelson can only move a few muscles in his face. He's almost a prisoner in his own body.

Almost. Nelson found a new lease on life thanks to a special computer that he operates with his eyes. It allows him to work, to read, to communicate - to live.

"I tend to focus on the things I can do, and I spend very little time dwelling on that which I have lost," Nelson wrote in an e-mail from his home in Temecula, Calif., where he relocated after his diagnosis.

"My life has purpose. I make sure of that. I feel productive and useful. And maybe most important of all, I understand with great clarity that my body has absolutely nothing to do with who I am. Besides, depression and self pity are unpleasant - who needs that?"

Nelson wants more people living with ALS and other disabilities to understand that they "can lead a happy and productive life." So he started Computers4Quads, an organization that provides computers like the one he uses to people in need.

Writes Nelson: "I got the idea for Computers4Quads after hearing my caregivers speak of other cases in which people in situations similar to my own were allowing their disability to determine their personal identity."

And here's where you come in. Several area bands and artists, including many that used to share the stage with Nelson, will perform Sunday at a benefit concert for Computers4Quads.

The event is scheduled from noon to 9 p.m. at Paddy O'Flaherty's in Morton. The lineup includes: Nate Kieser, Kevin Smith and Brian Stear at noon; Dave McDonald & Friends at 1:15 p.m.; the Bill Porter Project at 2:30 p.m.; the Flying D'Rito Brothers at 3:45 p.m.; the Robin Crowe Band at 5 p.m.; Doc Rodgers and the Rock Dodgers at 6:15 p.m.; and Rooster Alley at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $5, and the event will include silent auctions, with proceeds benefiting Computers4Quads.

Even if you can't attend, you can still get involved. Nelson operates a Web site (www.c4q.org) that seeks donations, fundraising tips and even old computers that can be given to people with disabilities.

Nelson, of course, can't be there Sunday; his condition makes travel nearly impossible. But if you think he'll waste even one second feeling sorry for himself, then you just don't know Nelson.

He writes: "Being entrenched in the Peoria/Bloomington music scene left me with lasting memories and everlasting friendships. Life is good."

Brad Burke is the Journal Star's entertainment editor. He can be reached at (309) 686-3262, by e-mail at bburke@pjstar.com or at 1 News Plaza, Peoria, IL 61643.

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