Brian Bower, a middle-aged Niagara area resident employed in St. Catharines, Ontario and a lifelong resident of Welland, was diagnosed with ALS on December 21, 2018, just before the holidays. ALS is a progressive neurological disease which has no cure; there is little medical assistance available. Life expectancy generally runs between 2-5 years for most patients.  The cost of everything is exponentially steep for someone dealing with this terrifying disease. Everything from medications, transportation, making suitable accommodations in home, nursing care and so on can be insupportable. These costs are well beyond the financial means of his household.  On the low estimate, his care will likely cost in excess of $150,000 over and beyond financial support provided by his insurances. The Ice Bucket Challenge was done to raise ALS awareness and grow financial support for ALS research. Sadly, Brian is now one of those faces directly affected by this debilitating disease.

Brian is a very active member in our community and has been the person in charge of many community events. Brian has organized and run community shoreline cleanups for many years locally, and has been a leader who has paved many roads for success at Start Me Up Niagara in St. Catharines, RAFT in St. Catharines, Canadian Heart & Stroke Foundation, Sick Kids Foundation, FACS of Niagara and many other community partners. He has facilitated projects for painting homeless shelters, organized groups for preparing and serving food in local soup kitchens, organized Christmas decorating events at youth hostels, and he has led fundraising campaigns for the prevention of youth homelessness. Supporting, caring for others and “championing the underdog” is what Brian has been known for and he now needs our help for himself and his family. Our community is losing a huge asset and volunteer that is now in need of our help.

Brian’s employment at the St. Catharines Ontario Home Depot will come to an unfortunate end in April 2019. His current symptoms include, slurred speech, left side weakness, muscle wasting, difficulty swallowing and the onset of the ALS gait. Brian is motivated to begin a new purpose in his life by creating ALS awareness throughout the Niagara Region, across Ontario, all of Canada and beyond. His dream is to emulate his hero, Steve Gleason whom is an American ALS awareness pioneer. Brian’s vision is to travel throughout Canada on an ALS pilgrimage to build the ALS awareness momentum that once captured the world with the Ice Bucket Challenge which went viral in 2014/2015. 

Perhaps Brian’s first medical equipment need will be a handicapped accessible van to enclose a handicapped ramp for the use of a scooter and a powered wheelchair in the future. Please friend request Brian Bower on FB to keep yourself informed of Brian’s ALS journey.