Wayne Lauman and his wife Kathy watch as Rex Putnam High School alumni build a ramp to help him access the outside of his home. Pictured, left to right, are: Rob Pyle, Mark Foster and Kim and Greg Kaphammer.


Putnam grads come together for classmate
Grad with ALS getting a ramp from old classmates
By Ellen Spitaleri

The Clackamas Review, Aug 19, 2008


Wayne and Kathy Lauman's house sits on a quiet street off Oatfield Road in Milwaukie.

But for the last two weeks the home has been the scene of noisy activity, as a group of Lauman's Rex Putnam High School classmates from the mid-1970s build a complex ramp that wraps around the front of the house.

For all of them, the story of the ramp is "all about Wayne," but for Lauman the focus is on ALS, the "terrible monster" of a disease he was diagnosed with in February of 2007.

Lauman said he knew something was wrong as far back as 1996, when he developed a "drop foot and a limp." Tests eventually revealed he had ALS.

"ALS affects people differently - mine's in the foot," Lauman said.

He considers himself "very fortunate," because he can still speak clearly, noting that "most often you meet ALS patients who slur their speech."

But as the disease progressed, mobility became increasingly difficult for Lauman, once a track and basketball star at RPHS, whose record in the long jump still stands.

"He's been housebound; the only way out is the stairs," said Kathy Lauman, noting their 24-year-old son Trevor had to carry his father down the stairs to his wheelchair.

The family knew they needed a ramp, but did not know how "to accomplish this," Kathy Lauman said.

Then, Wayne Lauman said, he "made two mistakes" with Fred Gibson, a former classmate at RPHS.

"None of my friends knew I had ALS, but I [e-mailed] a poem to Frank and said it was written by a fellow ALS patient. He e-mailed me back and scolded me pretty hard for not telling [him] about it," Lauman said.

The next "mistake" he made was "telling him that Trevor and I were measuring the porch to build a ramp, and [Frank] said, ‘You are going to let your friends do it for you.'

"I argued with [him] for three weeks before I accepted. I hate the idea of not being able to do it myself, but it has definitely been a blessing. It is amazing - their compassion, their love - they are great friends."

"Once I knew it was a go I began to put a plan together," Gibson said, in an e-mail. "I live in Little Rock, Arkansas. [But] it doesn't matter where you're coming from, all that matters is where you're going."



Planning stages

"Once it was established, all the day-to-day decisions could be made there in Oregon. The leader and mastermind behind the construction details was Mike Gibson (no relation). The other leader was Don Cox, a very organized person for tackling projects and keeping them on schedule," said Fred Gibson.

He added, "What happened next was classmates started volunteering their time, talent and equipment to build this ramp."

The ramp is difficult because the Lauman's house is set up off of the road - the project required complex planning and building permits.



RPHS alumni support

About 20 former RPHS graduates have come together to help with the project.

"It's all about Wayne - all of a sudden these people show up, and we haven't seen them for 35 years," Mike Gibson said.

"Wayne was always quiet and he never had a mean bone in his body. I never heard him say anything bad about anybody. He's the type of person, if a neighbor came down with a sickness, Wayne would help him," said Kim Kaphammer.

She has been helping with the ramp by painting and doing other jobs, she said, because "I knew Wayne came down with this illness, and if I was in his shoes, I'd want friends to come around me. He comes out in his wheelchair and [watches us] and laughs."

Gibson said he attributes the outpouring of support partially to the fact that many of the former classmates attended Oak Grove Elementary School and remained in the area.

"People who know Wayne really like him, and said if they can't be here, they'll send a check," he said.

Mark Foster, another classmate who is part of the crew, said he's worked on the foundation and the framing, and said that for him "the important thing is connecting with Wayne. It's about togetherness and relationships - Wayne has always been a really good person."



ALS the focus

But for Lauman himself, it all comes back to ALS.

"Anything I can do to advocate for ALS, I'm there in a heartbeat. I dislike it when [people] put a happy face on a disease. ALS destroys the people around you; the family doesn't escape. It's hard going through this, but even harder to watch the family going through this," he said.

Lauman coached basketball at RPHS for almost 10 years, he said, noting that 2005 was his last year. He continues to work from home, where he has his own Internet company designing Web sites.

He has taken comfort from new scientific advancements in ALS research, including Lithium treatments that he has been taking for nearly six months, and from technological opportunities as well.

The Internet has allowed him to connect with other ALS patients; he has joined the Patients Like Me Web site and has his own blog, detailing his experiences with Lithium, among other things. He has learned from this disease, he said.

"Next time you see somebody disabled, remember it is only physical; it is not something you should walk away from. I've got friends who can't come over yet, they don't know what to say. They are afraid to say, ‘How are you doing?'

"People need to overcome it. Like everyone else, I have good days and bad days; good days with bad parts and bad days with good parts."

Out on the deck, Kathy and Wayne Lauman watched the crew as they install handrails and work on the ramp.

"When this is completed, we are going to throw a big barbecue for all the volunteers," Kathy Lauman said.

Her husband added, "I want ALS to be as prominent as possible. It is a great thing they are doing, and it wouldn't have happened if not for this crazy disease."



Fast Facts



To donate to the Wayne's Ramp Project, send checks to: Delta Trust & Bank, in care of Wayne Lauman ALS, 16600 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, Arkansas 72223.

Funds sent to this address will go towards the ramp project costs and any excess will be for other needs Wayne may have as they arise.

Or send checks to Immanuel Lutheran Church, 7810 SE 15th Ave., Portland, OR 97202, to the attention of Don Cox Jr.

To learn more about Wayne Lauman's treatment with Lithium, and to see the ramp work in progress, visit the following Web sites: http://wayne.pnwws.com; http://waynesrampbuildingproject.blogspot.com/


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