Northwestern alum relentless in fighting ALS


Brett Snyder, a former Northwestern football player, presented a check for $15,000 to the ALS Hope Foundation on Saturday. Snyder suffers from ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. (Monica Cabrera, Allentown Morning Call / July 25, 2006)




By Keith Groller | Of The Morning Call
April 1, 2008

Brett Snyder says he continues to be amazed by the amount of support he is getting in his fight against ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

But his friends continue to be amazed by the determination and resiliency that Snyder, the former Northwestern and Lehigh University football standout, continues to show.

On Saturday afternoon, Snyder was the central figure of another fundraiser his Tackle ALS Foundation held at Starters Riverport in Bethlehem.

The highlight was the presentation of a $15,000 check to the ALS Hope Foundation. Dr. Terry Heiman-Patterson, Snyder's head doctor and the president of ALS Hope, was there to accept the check.



ALS Hope's mission is dedicated to the care and cure of people battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

''The money we're donating is going to help the clinic that Dr. Heiman-Patterson runs at the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital in Allentown and also will go to her research and drug trials,'' Snyder said. ''The pharmaceutical companies come to her, and she conducts her own research. We want to help people and increase awareness about ALS.''

Dr. Heiman-Patterson's clinic offers disciplines in physical and occupational therapy, speech, nutrition, nursing, breathing -- ''it's a one-stop shop,'' she said.

''It's all dedicated to making a difference for people living with ALS,'' Heiman-Patterson said. ''The money that Brett has raised allows us to support the clinical arena and the research and to help take care of people, especially with their breathing, which ALS affects.''

Heiman-Patterson said the average life span of someone diagnosed with ALS is three years. Snyder was diagnosed five years ago.

''Brett is in that 10 percent that live from five to 10 years,'' Heiman-Patterson said. ''My goal is put everyone in that group and shift the paradigm.''

Heiman-Patterson considers herself Snyder's No. 1 fan.

''It takes so much courage to do what he's doing, and I admire him so much,'' she said. ''When you have this disease, you're facing death, and you're overwhelmed.

''But Brett has been able to take it under his control, step forward and make a difference. To be such an advocate as he's become, I can't tell you how much of an inspiration he is. Despite everything that's happened to him, all he wants to do is help the next guy. He keeps a person like me fighting for people with ALS.''

And Brett brought along so many friends and former football teammates and coaches to the battle.

Lehigh coach Andy Coen and assistants Donnie Roberts and Trey Brown stopped by after a spring practice to offer their support.

''I applaud Brett and his friends for starting this organization,'' Coen said. ''Brett's the same way he was as a player -- he's going to take this thing head-on and be as productive with it as he can be. I was an assistant coach at Lehigh when he was here, and I loved coaching him. Of all the people I've coached, I don't know that I've ever had a better kid in terms of attitude and that's what makes this all the more despicable that he's dealing with this. It's really unfair. He was a great player, but he's an even better person.''

You would find no argument from anyone involved with Tackle ALS, which will have several more fundraisers later in the year, including a flag football game and a golf tournament.

Snyder and Tackle ALS are receptive to more ideas for events to raise money and increase ALS awareness.

''We're going to keep fighting,'' he said. ''Words can't describe how I feel. We had nearly 200 people here today and just seeing them means as much to me as the money. It's just awesome.''

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