2024 Columbus Walk: Mr Michael John Pitroff

Thank you for helping me reach my Walk ALS fundraising goal! Walk ALS raises funds to support those affected by ALS and to spread awareness of the urgency to find treatments and a cure.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease that slowly robs the body of its ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe. The life expectancy of a person with ALS averages 2 to 5 years from the time of diagnosis. ALS can strike anyone, and presently there is no known cause or cure.

As was our mother in the previous generation, so our younger brother is the person in our present generation who has borne the travails of ALS. Not that any of us are free of its entanglements, but our brother has endured and withstood its grasp during the present time. Why does God allow such suffering?

In an older reading, Jeremiah laments, “Woe to me, mother, that you gave me birth! . . . Why is my pain continuous, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?” The response follows, “For I am with you, to deliver and rescue you, says the Lord.” Or in St. Paul’s case, he acknowledges a “thorn was given him in the flesh.” And after begging three times to the Lord that it should leave him, the Lord’s response was “my grace is sufficient for you.”

Neither of these passages endow the supplicant with answers which relieve the suffering. Rather, the Lord’s response is to relinquish control and place trust in the Lord for God is with you and God’s grace is sufficient for you. We trust God’s grace is with us and that God extends that embrace to our brother.

The past two years have brought incredible advancements in ALS research, expanded access to care for people living with ALS, and enabled legislation that impacts the quality of life of people with ALS and their families.

But we can't stop now. The key to a cure begins with you.

Please consider walking with me or sponsoring me. With your help, we will be able to make a difference in the lives of people affected by this disease.