Fairfield Man Stays Positive As He Fights ALS


Web Editor: Aaron Roberts, Reporter



Al Hendsbee



About 30,000 Americans suffer from ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease. Mitch Albom's bestselling book Tuesday's With Morrie, which is also a play being performed at the Penobscot Theatre, has brought the disease more into focus. Still there is no cure.




Al Hendsbee lives in Fairfield and is 57 years old. Hendsbee knows he will die soon, but while he is battling ALS, there is a tremendous amount of fight still left in this very brave man.

If you walked into Al Hendsbee's home for the first time, you might not notice anything out of the ordinary. When we stopped by, he was sitting in his recliner watching a football game. But if you look carefully, you'll see Hendsbee can't move his arms or his legs.

After noticing his arms pulsating, Hendsbee went to his doctor, and then to a neurologist who ran a bunch of tests. Then came the news that would change his life.

Hendsbee says, "My wife was sitting in there [the doctors office]. I looked at her and her face turned white, but I felt good other than my arms pulsating, and so I asked how long I had to live. He said three to five years."

That was three and a half years ago. Ever since, ALS has slowly been taking away Al Hendsbee's life.

Hendsbee says, "The hardest part of this disease for me was telling people I'm dying. I had to tell my mother and father, my brother, my boy. You know, that's the hardest part for me."

Hendsbee is fighting ALS as best he can. He also has a big team helping to keep him as healthy as possible. He gets massages to exercise his muscles. Nurses also help take care of him. His family is there for him, too.

While his movement is severely limited, Hendsbee wants people to know you can have ALS and still have a good attitude.

Hendsbee says, "I want people around me to know I'm still happy go lucky, and fun. And don't come in here sad and try to give me a hard time, because I just can't take that. Just come in here happy go lucky, and leave happy go lucky."

Hendsbee says all his friends who visit are just part of what keeps him going.

Hendsbee says, "God gave me the strength, I give him this disease to take back. I'm waiting for him to take it back. I pray. I have a ton of people praying for me and I know that, and then happy go lucky people to take my mind off it."

Hendsbee is focusing on dictating a book about his life with ALS to give people insight into living with the disease, much like Mitch Albom does in Tuesday's With Morrie.

The play at Penobscot Theatre is adapted from the book Albom wrote about rekindling his relationship with a former college professor after learning his professor, Morrie Schwartz, had ALS. The two develop a deep bond in Morrie's final months.

Actor Thomas Ryan plays Morrie in the play. Ryan says, "This is not a play about a man who's dying. It's a play about a man who's living, and really celebrating his life."

Al Hendsbee has actually gotten back a little movement in his fingers in the past couple months, but he knows with no cure yet, ALS will ultimately take his life. He feels blessed for his friends and caregivers.

After meeting Al Hendsbee, you understand what it means to have a positive attitude and to celebrate each day no matter how difficult they may be.

For more information about ALS and Tuesday's With Morrie at the Penobscot Theatre, visit the FMI section of this website.
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