Former Hagerstown man writes book on wife's ALS struggle

Jennifer Raley
Cumberland Times-News

CUMBERLAND - Joe Conte transformed his trying experience into a tale to help others.

In the recently published book "Down the Yellow Brick Road: An ALS Victim's Quest for Oz," Conte writes about his wife Connie's struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosi, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

"I felt like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz taking her from doctor to doctor," said Conte, who sold his home in Hagerstown last month and moved to Ashburn, Va.

The book, which was published last March, took Conte more than a year to complete. He began writing the book during the end of his wife's illness.

"She knew I was writing it when she was in the hospital, but I don't think she thought it would be published," he said.

The first chapters of the book are comprised of Connie's childhood journal entries.

"I did that as a way of letting people know what kind of person she was," said Conte.

The rest of the book is about the couple's 50 years of marriage. After surviving cancer, Conte struggled with ALS for four years before she died in November of 2005.

"It got more horrible as it went on," Conte said of his wife's disease.

Proceeds from book sales will go to the Constance Joan Schneider Conte ALS Group Inc. to be used to help others suffering from the disease in the United States and Canada.

Funds may be used for doctor house calls and hiring people to relieve caregivers. As the funds increase, Conte plans to donate to scholarships for students and nurses pursuing ALS research.

During his meteorology career, Conte wrote articles for a variety of trade publications. He is working on a second book, although he is not sure what direction to take.

The book, available from Tate Publishing, may be ordered online by e-mailing orders@tatepublishing.com. For more information on Conte's ALS group. log onto www.alsgroup.org.

Jennifer Raley can be reached at jraley@times-news.com.
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