Pitch4Pete Support ALS Lou Gehrig
Donation protected
Dear Beaches community, Toronto, Canada, Boston, USA and beyond...
My name is John, and myself and our young family where fortunate enough to immigrate to Canada 4 years ago.
We've also been lucky enough to locate in a neighbourhood in which the warmth of the Canadian welcome is all too apparent every day, none more so than Pete and Youtaz Wood and their amazing two kids and families, who I’m happy to call our neighbours and friends. (Photo above is Pete and his kids on holiday in Cape Cod earlier this year).
However my friend Pete has a problem, one of human engineering... as he's been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).
ALS is a neurological disease that attacks the motor neurons and leads to progressive muscle weakness. In Pete’s case last year he mentioned a numbness in one of his hands, but typical of Pete played it down and got on with life. Since then that has progressively spread to involve his other hand, his arms, his feet, and legs. You may even have seen us linking arms watching our kids at the Beaches Soccer – sitting on "Pete’s Rock" by the board walk and the tennis courts.
ALS can eventually progress to the muscles that are needed for speech and swallowing, and even to the muscles needed for breathing, which is fatal. Currently, there is only 1 medication that has been approved for treating ALS (riluzole) and the evidence for its effectiveness isn’t great. It prolongs life for 2-3 months, and it was approved 21 years ago! In my view its time to do more .
There is however hope, from local and brilliant physicians in the Toronto area in terms of stem-cell research, and a potential clinical trial that I want to ensure my friend Pete is on. That however requires funding – and this is were I need the famous Beaches community spirit and support (and beyond- as you all have friends) to raise money for this cause.
Please help Pete, he’s an avid Baseball fan. To put it in Pete’s own words, like Lou Gehrig who was a determined , committed and focused athlete who played 2130 consecutive baseball games before being diagnosed with ALS, "I'd like to be the Lou Gehrig of life and continue to play as many consecutive games as is possible."
Please help my very good friend and neighbour play more games! Please give what you can and if you see him around say hi...
Thanks John
PS For further information and news we are creating a website. More to follow.
My name is John, and myself and our young family where fortunate enough to immigrate to Canada 4 years ago.
We've also been lucky enough to locate in a neighbourhood in which the warmth of the Canadian welcome is all too apparent every day, none more so than Pete and Youtaz Wood and their amazing two kids and families, who I’m happy to call our neighbours and friends. (Photo above is Pete and his kids on holiday in Cape Cod earlier this year).
However my friend Pete has a problem, one of human engineering... as he's been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).
ALS is a neurological disease that attacks the motor neurons and leads to progressive muscle weakness. In Pete’s case last year he mentioned a numbness in one of his hands, but typical of Pete played it down and got on with life. Since then that has progressively spread to involve his other hand, his arms, his feet, and legs. You may even have seen us linking arms watching our kids at the Beaches Soccer – sitting on "Pete’s Rock" by the board walk and the tennis courts.
ALS can eventually progress to the muscles that are needed for speech and swallowing, and even to the muscles needed for breathing, which is fatal. Currently, there is only 1 medication that has been approved for treating ALS (riluzole) and the evidence for its effectiveness isn’t great. It prolongs life for 2-3 months, and it was approved 21 years ago! In my view its time to do more .
There is however hope, from local and brilliant physicians in the Toronto area in terms of stem-cell research, and a potential clinical trial that I want to ensure my friend Pete is on. That however requires funding – and this is were I need the famous Beaches community spirit and support (and beyond- as you all have friends) to raise money for this cause.
Please help Pete, he’s an avid Baseball fan. To put it in Pete’s own words, like Lou Gehrig who was a determined , committed and focused athlete who played 2130 consecutive baseball games before being diagnosed with ALS, "I'd like to be the Lou Gehrig of life and continue to play as many consecutive games as is possible."
Please help my very good friend and neighbour play more games! Please give what you can and if you see him around say hi...
Thanks John
PS For further information and news we are creating a website. More to follow.
Organizer
John Parton
Organizer
Toronto, ON