A support and education program for children
with a parent with ALS. From ALS Canada. 
“Look for the ridiculous in everything and you find it.” Jules Renard
“A critic is a man who knows the way but can't drive the car.” Kenneth Tynan
"The fellow who does things that count doesn't usually stop to count them." Anonymous
"If you want a quality, act as if you already had it." William James
"If you are open to receive, then you can expect to meet what is real." Ben Harper
"Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose a challenge rather than competence." Eleanor Roosevelt
Riding For Life
By Buddy Pendergast, son of PALS
Junior at Miller Place HS
Their wheelchairs, are their chariots,
Their once running legs now
their rolling wheels,
Each from a life of their own,
Brought together from a common bond:
A brotherhood,
They are riding for their lives.
Once hikers, runners, climbers, athletes,
Now their life has taken a turn,
Not by choice: their bodies rapidly changing.
Willing to fight, to make a difference,
They now ride their chariots,
They are riding for their lives.
So, instead of reaching for the next rock,
taking the next stride,
hitting the next golf ball,
They struggled with weakened fingers,
Holding the toggle control forward,
never looking back.
Heads up, smiles wide,
They are riding for their lives.
They will continue fighting,
until there is no fight left,
For themselves and for others
that can no longer fight,
They will keep smiling and keep riding,
For one day this battle will be won
"Even as wisdom often comes from the mouths of babes, so does it often come from the mouths of old people. The golden rule is to test everything in the light of reason and experience, no matter from where it comes." Mahatma Gandi
Riding For Life
By Mike Delph, Elementary Student, Comsewogue School District, Long Island, NY
The leaders, riding in their metal horses,
With their angels guiding them on their journey,
As little people show how big their hearts are assisting with all their love and care.
The parade continues down Miracle Street, Riding for life.
"We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit." E.E. Cummings
"No man can always be right. So the struggle is to do one's best, to keep the brain and conscience clear, never to be swayed by unworthy motives or inconsequential reasons, but to strive to unearth the basic factors involved, then do one's duty." Dwight D. Eisenhower
Grandpa, What is ALS?, By Bonny Gold-Babins - $10
This is the story of the love shared by a grandfather, who develops ALS, and his grandchild who learns to accept and understand the disease. Their special bond remained unchanged.
This book is for the whole family regardless of age.
Available from
the ALS Society of Alberta: http://www.alsab.ca/order.html"When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free." Catherine Ponder
This series of booklets, created in 1990, provides an introduction to various topics faced by people with ALS, their families, and their caregivers. Titles in the series include:
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| An Overview for People with ALS |
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| Eating, Drinking, and Swallowing Strategies |
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| Communication Strategies |
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| Breathing Strategies |
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| Coping with Grief - Strategies for People Living with ALS |
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| "How Can I Help?" - A Guide for Family and Friends |
Available from the ALS Society of Canada:
http://www.als.ca"We have not passed that subtle line between childhood and adulthood until we move from the passive voice to the active voice -- that is, until we stop saying 'It got lost,' and say 'I lost it.'" Sydney Harris
MGM
© ALS Independence 2003-08