Former teacher inspires kids to learn about ALS

Last year, Chris Pendergast, a former Northport teacher, came to my elementary school to raise awareness about ALS. He described his life with ALS, how he depends on people to feed and clothe him, and uses a special machine to be able to communicate.

After the presentation, we went outside and he came around and high-fived everybody while we held posters. Before his arrival, I had done research and got a group of fifth-graders to show support. The group chanted, “Destroy amyotrophic lateral sclerosis” (ALS). Chris leads the Ride for Life, which he started more than 20 years ago. Ride for Life has raised more than $7 million for research and patient care on Long Island.

ALS is an incurable disease that causes your muscles to weaken, thus limiting your physical ability. It is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, after the famous New York Yankee player who had this disease.

Both Gehrig and Stephen Hawking, a well-known physicist and astronomer, noticed some symptoms before they were diagnosed with ALS. Both noticed that they were feeling clumsy and were falling down easily, and they had trouble performing simple, everyday tasks like tying shoes.

Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS in 1939, two years before he died at just 37 years old. His wife had called the Mayo Clinic, and a doctor there named Charles William Mayo took interest in Gehrig’s case and asked him to come immediately to the clinic. After being diagnosed with ALS by Dr. Mayo, Gehrig returned to the Yankees to tell them that he had to retire due to his disease. After he retired, his jersey number (4) was used to remember and honor him.

Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with ALS in 1963, when he was 21 years old. He was home from college during the holidays when his mother noticed that he was having some difficulty moving. When Hawking went to see a doctor, the doctors kept him for two weeks to perform tests and to see what was wrong. They finally discovered that he had ALS. After being diagnosed, he was depressed, but when the process of his ALS started to slow down, he became happier and more interested in studies. He later became a professor at Cambridge University and lived 55 years after his diagnosis.

ALS mostly affects people 40 to 60 years of age. The first symptoms of ALS can be difficulty doing your daily tasks, or falling and tripping, and sometimes you can have difficulty swallowing or slurred speech. For more information about the Ride For Life, visit alsrideforlife.org.

Nancy Bachety’s sixth-grade class, Port Jefferson Middle School