A Meaningful Life

Created: 2/20/2008
VIDEO
Click here to watch Mike Bush's Cover Story.



http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_articl...storyid=140658


By Mike Bush

(KSDK) - The eyes are never silent. With just a glance, they can say a lot. Jack Orchard's eyes are also his voice.
Using something called an Eyegaze communication
system, Jack can operate a computer with just his eyes and synthesize speech.

"I can't imagine how people with ALS survived without something like this even 10 years ago," said Orchard.

The 40 year old Orchard has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease. It's slowly paralyzing and always incurable.

"For me the worst part is that I can't put my arms around the people I love," said Orchard. "The rest, like not walking, or eating, or talking, is a breeze compared to that."

Before his world was turned upside down, he was doing the same to the world. Orchard had an economics degree from Harvard, an MBA from Stanford. He was flying back and forth from Russia as an investment banker.

When he was diagnosed in 2002, he was told that he had three to five years to live and there was nothing he could do about it. But Orchard did do something about it. Shortly after his diagnosis Orchard founded his own non-profit organization, Extra Hands for ALS.

He recruited college and high school students like 17-year-old Chelsey Carter, who volunteer to help out ALS patients and their families on a weekly basis.

"We assist them with chores, laundry, sometimes do yardwork, babysit, running errands. Things that seem minimal but make a huge impact on a family," said Carter.

Starting his charity was like a lifeline and it pulled Orchard out of the darkness.

"When I came out of that tunnel and launched Extra Hands for ALS, I lost all the pain of my condition," said Orchard. "And I still work my tail off everyday to keep those feelings of emptiness away."

His passion for life and helping others also turned into a pathway to love.

"I emailed him and went and met him at his office and immediately we had a great connection," said 27-year-old Kristen Williamson.

Williamson was looking to raise money for a charity that helped patients with ALS, after her best friend's father died of the disease.

"I just really admired how he didn't let anything go, he lived in the moment and made the best of his life," said Williamson.

He can't speak. He can't use his hands and yet, Orchard has a positive attitude. Someone might be wise to write a book on how he does it, except that Orchard already did.

A camera tracks his eye movements and just by looking at the control keys on his monitor, he can type about 35 words a minute.

"I decided to do it because I had found a way to give myself some peace through my work on my charity, Extra Hands for ALS, and I wanted to share my discovery," said Orchard.

Orchard hopes the book, called "Extra Hands, Grasping for a Meaningful Life," has lessons for everybody.

"The overall message is everyone can make a difference in someone's life. Everyone's life can be meaningful. You just have find what that is and do it," said Williamson.

The eyes can sometimes paint a better picture than a paint brush.

"When my time comes I would like to be surrounded one way or another by the people who have meant so much to me who have shaped my life", writes Orchard in the last paragraph of his book.

The future of course, is never guaranteed and while he's not expecting to be here even a year from now, Jack Orchard says he'll make the most of whatever time he has left.

And for any of us, those are words to LIVE by.

"There is so much left to do", writes Orchard. "So for now--back to work."

There is a costumed FUN RUN! to benefit Extra Hands with ALS coming up.
For more information visit http://www.alsrun.org

To learn more about Jack Orchard's organization:

http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_articl...storyid=140658

http://www.extrahands.org/