Coast to coast for ALS

By Karen Cook

A Faculty of Nursing alum for whom biking became a release after her dad's battle with ALS will use that talent to raise money for ALS this summer as she leads a cycle trip across Canada. 

Leslie MacDonald, BN'09, watched her father, Bob, suffer with Bulbar ALS for a year before he died in August 2003.  Now a registered nurse in Halifax, Leslie plans to set out from Vancouver on June 5, ending in Summerside, PEI in early August. She hopes her campaign called "Going the Distance for Dad and ALS" will raise $25,000 towards research and community support.

Fellow nursing graduate and Leslie's close friend, Megan (Jones) Kirkpatrick, will join Leslie for the first leg of the journey, from Vancouver to Calgary. "I didn't have the honour of meeting Leslie's dad," says Megan, "but I really want to support Leslie in this endeavour.  I want to help her reach her goal by providing both emotional support and companionship along the tough ride ahead."  Megan also recently lost a family friend to ALS.  "I experienced how ALS can affect both the person with the disease and also their family and friends," she says.

"Bulbar ALS initially affects the muscles for speaking, swallowing and/or breathing," Leslie explains. "Like many people, talking and laughing were core elements in my dad's life and so to see these precious abilities escape from him was heartbreaking."

Cycling became a psychological outlet for Leslie while she dealt with the intense grief that follows the death of a parent. "The trip is going to be both physically and emotionally demanding for many reasons," she adds, "but I know that the memories of my dad will give me strength to bike over 6,000 kilometres across the country."

Each year, over 75 walks for ALS across the country raise funds to combat this degenerative disease. Individual fundraising efforts like Leslie's also contribute significantly to the cause; 17 are listed so far this year on the ALS website that include other cycling trips, treks from Toronto to northern Alaska on motorcycle, golf tournaments and donations in lieu of wedding gifts.

ALS has no known cure or effective treatment. For every person diagnosed with ALS a person with ALS dies. Approximately 2,500 to 3,000 Canadians currently live with the disease. For more information about Leslie's ride or to make a donation, visit http://www.als.ca/events/mysite.aspx?fid=3365 or email goingthedistance4dad@gmail.com.