Pre - Telethon

Thank you. I’m not too big on giving speeches, so I asked my husband to write a few words for the occasion. Actually, to be perfectly honest, he didn’t have much of a choice.

Since he lost the use of his arms, he’s no longer master of the TV remote control – every man’s worst nightmare. So I gave him two options: either he writes something for me to read and gets to watch his Raiders every Sunday for the rest of the year or, he doesn’t write anything and gets to watch Miss Congeniality 2 over and over and over again. Not surprisingly, he chose football. So under slight duress here are a few words from my husband, Jeff.

Dear friends. Let me start by making a confession. If I had known the lasting impact of the segment we filmed for the telethon last year, I would have done a few things differently. First, I would have showered. Second, I would have seriously considered shaving. And I definitely would have put on a clean t-shirt. But none of that matters. What does matter, is that my wife and I were lucky enough to be a part of something as amazing as the MDA Telethon.

A lot has changed for us since last year. I lost the ability to eat. I lost the ability to speak. And I lost the ability to breath without assistance. But the one thing I have not lost is hope. Over just the last twelve months MDA researchers have learned more about ALS than ever before. We may still have miles to go before we find a treatment and a cure for ALS, but every dollar we raise brings us that much closer.

On behalf of the thirty thousand ALS families across the country, Kathryn and I want to thank you for all of your efforts. Knowing that there are so many caring and committed people working on our behalf gives us hope. With hard work and a little luck, I’m confident that MDA researchers will make the breakthrough that will help me realize my dream. Yes, someday I’ll get the damn remote control back.

Thank you, MDA. We love you.