14 Hour Swim for ALS

Steve Leitch is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Julie Snelling.

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Steve Leitch here and I wanted to support the Susan Mast ALS foundation in Grand Rapids, MI. They have supported and loved my family friends Laura and Steve Glassman during the last six months of Laura's ALS story.

Here is a note from Laura Glassman:

I was diagnosed with Bulbar ALS in May, 2019. We lived in Illinois at the time and continually struggled to find information, support and available services.

When my husband, Steve and I moved to MI in May, 2021, we had to find brand new doctors. In that search process, Steve happened upon a link to the Susan Mast ALS Foundation. He submitted a request for more information and within minutes received an email from patient care coordinator, Pam VanVliet. She scheduled a zoom appointment with us that lasted an hour and a half.

Pam spent time getting to know us, our story and journey to that point. What was even more comforting to me, is that Pam’s husband had passed from ALS in 2013 … so, not only did she work with ALS patients, but she has LIVED it herself. Pam was so helpful in telling us what we needed to be thinking about and preparing for.

But to our surprise and amazement, of the things we talked about me needing (adjustable bed, hand rails, neck support, lift strap, wedge pillow, portable wheelchair, etc.) she was able to provide those items to me through the generosity of the Susan Mast Foundation.

I cant even begin to tell you all the ways this foundation has been such a support…Through their consistent follow up, fast response time, on-line support groups, home visits, specialized speech pathologist support, willingness to coordinate with our ALS clinic doctors, and more … Steve and I are so thankful to God for all their support, services and resources and the blessing they are to us, and so many others battling this horrible disease.

Laura Glassman :)

December 3rd, 2021

My plan is to swim from 5.00am until 7.30pm at the Caine Halter YMCA in Greenville, SC.

Why swim for 14.5 hours .. well I always say "why not"! but the real reason is that Laura and Steve have been family to me all my life, and I wanted to honor and support the foundation that has been incredibly helpful to them over the last six months.

Laura is my "older sister" and to see her walk with Jesus one day at a time through the heartache of ALS has been humbling to say the least. For those of you that know her walk please help me honor and love her through this swimming fundraiser, and at the same time give all the glory to God our creator and Jesus our savior!

All money raised will be given as a love offering to the Susan Mast foundation to help them continue to be an amazing resource to families living through ALS in southwest Michigan.

Ephesians 3.20

Now to him you can do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine