Family pulls together as local woman battles ALS
By Pamela Wells
pwells@HanfordSentinel.com

Catherine Keck truly believes in the philosophy that everything happens for a reason. It's an attitude the 14-year-old has had since her mother, Charlene Gallegos Anderson, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. And the diagnosis has made her family closer.

"You may think your life sucks, but compared to my mom's it's wonderful," said Keck, who is a student at John F. Kennedy Junior High School. "She went from being independent to depending on everyone."

Keck said she sees her mother's inner strength on a daily basis.

"My mom went from being a free bird flying in the big blue sky to being caged in a small dark room," she said. "I look at her and I see a strong woman who would love to help or hug her kids to death, but she can't because she's stuck in a wheelchair."

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord resulting in muscle weakness and atrophy.


At the onset of ALS, the symptoms may be so slight that they are frequently overlooked.

Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig first brought national and international attention to the disease in 1939 when he abruptly retired from the sport after being diagnosed with ALS. Most commonly, the disease strikes people between the ages of 40 and 70.

Muscle weakness is a hallmark initial sign in ALS, occurring in approximately 60 percent of patients. Early symptoms vary with each person, but usually include tripping, dropping things, abnormal fatigue of the arms and/or legs, slurred speech, muscle cramps and twitches and/or uncontrollable periods of laughing or crying.

The hands and feet may be affected first, causing difficulty in lifting, walking or using the hands for the activities of daily living such as dressing, washing and buttoning clothes.

As the weakening and paralysis continue to spread to the muscles of the trunk of the body, the disease eventually affects speech, swallowing, chewing and breathing. When the breathing muscles become affected, ultimately, the patient will need the help of a permanent ventilator in order to survive.

Anderson, 36, was born and raised in Hanford, and graduated from Hanford High School in 1990.

This mother's tears are not shed for herself and the fact that she has ALS, but she weeps for the three children she will leave behind. She also has two sons, Thomas Keck, 11, and Robert Anderson, 3.

Anderson wishes she could hug her children just one more time.

"It's amazing how much we take for granted," she said.

Anderson was diagnosed with ALS almost two years ago, on June 7, 2006, when she was living in Virginia with her second husband. A fall at her place of employment the year before led doctors to believe she had nerve damage to her elbow.

"The doctors misdiagnosed her," said her father, Frank Gallegos. "After her surgery, her speech and walking changed drastically."

When her parents picked her up at the airport, she could barely walk.

"She can't take care of herself," said her mother, Gloria Gallegos. "Charlene having ALS has made our family closer.

"When she first attended an ALS support group, she cried and cried," Gallegos added. "It was nice for her to see that she wasn't the only one with this dreadful disease."

Anderson speaks with difficulty, so her mother acts as interpreter.

But Gallegos does not need to translate this mother's speech to her kids.

"She is still Mom and makes all decisions for the kids," she said.

Anderson hopes her life will inspire others to learn more about ALS.

"When you find out you have ALS, it's very overwhelming," she said. "You don't know anything, and most of the time the doctors don't know anything either.

"I want people to understand this dreadful disease," she added. "So many people don't know anything about it."

And as far as Catherine is concerned, even though Anderson is confined to a wheelchair, she's still a devoted and loving mother.

"I don't show it at times, but I do appreciate her for doing what she does best, which is being a mom."

The reporter can be reached at 583-2423.

http://www.hanfordsentinel.com/artic...1471552983.txt