Our adventures started at 6 a.m. in the morning because disabled
transportation could not fit us in at any other time other than 7 a.m. At any
rate we made it to the
bus stations and were pleasantly surprised by the fact
that the bus service to Toronto from Hamilton is now handicap
accessible.
In one way that was good in another not so good! The drivers are only now
learning how to use the ramps and lifts and how to strap the wheelchair down in
the bus. Needless to say while they were jockeying me around the foot with a
cast took quite a beating. We made it to Toronto and thanks to Bobbi Greenberg
of ALS Canada we had transportation with Handy Trans in Toronto.
silver and anything you buy from a specialty place is double the
price of anywhere else. Of course I can get by with ordinary items but a
lab certainly cannot. Janice took the time to
show us slides of just what motor neurons look like not only healthy motor
neurons but also those affected by ALS. The trouble is for a layperson
seeing them on a monitor is quite different than the actual size. It makes
you think that there should be no problem curing the disease when the motor
neuron looks like, as Shirley said, a coffee bean. Of course one has to
think that the actual size is something like, take a pinprick divided by a
hundred or so and that is the size. At any rate it was very enlightening
and also in one way very promising to meet someone so dedicated to finding a
cure for this disease.
I think
we are in a bit of a quandary with our ALS Society's and our research
laboratories. One needs money for research to find a cure the others need money
for equipment to serve those who have the disease. If we find a cure we don't
need the equipment however in the meantime the equipment is still needed. So
how do
you
split the money to be equitable and feasible for both to survive? I guess we
have to find a way to raise more money. I for one lean towards the research
side of things even though I have equipment on loan from the ALS Society. Of
course in my case I am rather lucky given the fact that disability provides me
with most of my equipment. I don't know how long I have been preaching this but
anyone, anywhere if you have any equipment at all that you are not using please
donate it to the societies. This will have a chain reaction and hopefully would
free up money for research. You can also, as so many people do, donate directly
to a research facility. I think it is outrageous that a researcher the caliber
of Janice Robertson has to pound the pavement asking people for money. At any
rate everyone has an option on where they want to donate
their money too so please consider these options as
they are both important.
After spending almost 3 hours
with
Janice,
which seemed to go by in about 15 minutes, we headed out for the CN Tower. We
stopped for lun
ch
someplace and I asked if their bathroom was handicapped assessable. Of course
they say yes, well the poor old foot took a
beating on that one. It was about as accessible
as one of those old two holers that we used to have in
the backyard! At any rate the food wasn't too bad and we made our way to the CN
Tower. After looking at the lineup and thinking it would be the same thing on
the way down we decided to find a shady space somewhere and just rest, which we
did. We did take a picture of the elevator going up however to send to
Shirley's daughter and tell her that Shirley was in it and was waving to her!
After resting for a while we made our way to the ticket office to get our
tickets for the baseba
ll game. I met up with an old friend Joyce, who is my
daughter in law's aunt, and
whom I haven't seen in about six or seven years. We had a very enjoyable time
at the game as it was the first time Shirley had ever attended one. One more
bonus Toronto kicked some Boston butt and that made it good too. As the
ballgame was winding down so was our time so we had to forgo the last inning.
We made it to the bus depot in lots of time however and went through another
training session with a driver getting me on the bus. We made it back to the
apartment at about 12:30 a.m. so it was a full day but one I would not have
missed for
the world.
I would
like to thank Bobbi for what she had done to make this
trip possible also Suzanne McDonald who managed to get a couple baseball
tickets
for me. And I would especially like to thank Janice for her hospitality and the
hospitality of her staff. Once again I cannot
emphasize enough the need for funding especially for the Labs such as hers that
are just getting underway. It seems like the ones in London and here in
Hamilton are getting their share of donations and grants but the new ones are
scrambling. It doesn't necessarily mean because you're the new kid on the block
that you will not be the one to discover a cure, after all these people are
fully qualified and experienced researchers. From what I've seen they are every
bit as likely to find a cure as anyone else. Donate where and when you can but
please donate if you can.
PS: The first results are in from the jewelry that I donated to the various people running walks etc. on a silent auction in Alliston the set made $200, well done Marjorie.
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MGM
© ALS Independence 2003-11
