[BobbyB]

Her faith keeps her going
Mollye Callahan dealing with being diagnosed with ALS
By Geneva York



L-R: Billy, Mollye and Mark Callahan

Jackson has been graced with an exceptional person in Mollye Callahan. This gracious lady has touched many lives with her teaching, talents and friendship. A cloud has recently come over Mollye and her husband Billy, which has to do with an incurable disease called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrigs' Disease. There is no known cure. There is no known cause.

Statistically only 1 in 70,000 have this disease, but for some reason, last year there were eight in Clarke County. The questions remains: Why are there so many in this area?

In March of 2005 this diagnosis was given to Mollye, who had experienced some slurring and slowing of her speech.

ALS is a chronic, progressive, invariably fatal neurological disease. It is marked by the gradual degeneration of the nerve cells in the central nervous system that controls voluntary muscle movement. It causes muscle weakness and atrophy throughout the body. The person usually maintains the same intelligence, memory and personality they had before its onset. There awkwardness in running or walking, eventually leading to paralysis, and the inability to speak, swallow or eat. Mollye now has a feeding tube and is on oxygen at night. She has difficulty with manual dexterity such as buttoning a shirt and writing. She is bedridden most of the time, but often chooses to walk from her bed to other rooms in her home. Many would just simply give up at this point.


Mollye and Billy at a family wedding in September of last year.

But not our Mollye. Just two weeks ago she and her friend Myra DeWitt made a journey to Mobile so Mollye could attend her Blue Chip Club meeting. This is an investment club that she has been involved in for many years. She determined to continue doing many of the things that she has always enjoyed doing. She

The day after her ALS diagnosis was confirmed, Mollye enjoyed playing in the Denver snow.



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