[BobbyB]

Sudbury Father Battles ALS
Man Says Every Day Is Blessing

POSTED: 11:08 am EDT August 27, 2008
UPDATED: 11:22 am EDT August 27, 2008

BOSTON -- ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, attacks nerve cells, weakening muscles until they cease working completely. Mark Rosen, of Sudbury, is one of the estimated 30,000 Americans living with the devastating disease.

NewsCenter 5's Anthony Everett reported that for Rosen, the best time of day is when his son, Teddy, arrives home from his day at camp.

Since being diagnosed with ALS in 2001, he said every day he spends with his children is a blessing.


"First and most importantly, my children are at the front and center of my life than ever before and to see them grow and flourish as we all cope with this challenge, and I am more confident than ever that this will enrich and deepen their adult lives," he said.

His parents, Seymour and Thelma Rosen, remember the moment they heard the news.

"We were up that weekend, and he sat us down at that time with his wife. 'We have some news for you, this and this is what I have.' As a mother, it breaks our heart. If we could change places with him, we would do it in a heartbeat," Thelma Rosen said.

For Rosen, the road to acceptance of his diagnosis was a long one. He said there were three stages of dealing with ALS he had to go through.

"I would say my first phase was denial, as I simply pressed on and led my same life," he said.

Phase two for Mark Rosen was dealing with the losses -- losing his ability to speak was the hardest.

"Definitely harder than loss of walking," he said.

Now, Mark Rosen is in what he calls stage three -- the acceptance stage.

"So instead of the pain and sadness of not being able to play ball with my son or dance with my daughter, I focus on being able to coach my son and appreciate that my loving attention is what they most need from their daddy, and no disease ever can take that away from us," he said.

"It's harder because he doesn't get to do things that other dads get to do with other sons. But it's also good because other dads, they work somewhere else and he works at home, so I get to spend more time with him," Teddy Rosen said.

"I don't know how long I have to live. We all are appreciative that I was supposed to be dead by now, and we will keep setting milestones, as three years ago when I was told I had two years max, I set a milestone to dance with my daughter at her Bat Mitzvah and we made it," Mark Rosen said.

"We do hope and pray that before to long they will find, maybe not a cure, but something that will sets something like this in a remission," Thelma Rosen said.

"Another unpredicted benefit is that my relationships in general are deepened and enriched since I am keenly aware of how my situation touches everyone's heart since we all know we are mortal," Rosen said.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com:80/n...06/detail.html