I don't often wish time away, but...

Yet another reason I can't wait until Jan 20, 2009.

This is what blogs are for, right?

A very good friend of mine is in his 4th year of living with ALS, Lou Gehrig's Disease. He's 27 and he recently had to go on disability leave from his position as Sports Information Director at Buena Vista University because his body will no longer allow him to do the job.

Nick has done such a great job getting info out about ALS and the severe lack of funding for research and many aspects that affect his life on his blog:

http://www.nickannstreet.com/blog

After watching the video from the link from his June 1st entry, I was so angry (but I'm sure not nearly as angry as Nick and his family have been time and time again in the last 3.5 years). This was the first time I had seen-and-heard the toll this disease has taken on my friend (and a former crush, as a matter of fact. Nick, I think you were the wise one of the pair!). I would never wish harm or suffering on anyone (really, I wouldn't) but of anyone I have EVER known, Nick is the LEAST deserving. So, I share his story with you.

My blog certainly does not draw a very big audience, but take a look if you would. The more people exposed to Nick’s story and others like his, the bigger the voice speaking for the ALS cure.

I won't go on a big long thing about stem cell research, or our President's stupidity (Nick does a much better, less emotional [read: girly] job of it), but I will say this: The legislation that is bouncing around DC right now is the stuff good stewardship and faithfulness is made of. Stubbornness is such a waste of my time, and causing the physical decline of a person I love dearly when he could be keeping his job and working is way toward Bob Costas-ness.

I know everyone has their causes and most people feel like they have enough going on in their life to add one more thing to care about. Please know that this is a DREADFUL disease (for anyone, but especially for someone young like Nick) and its prognosis is senseless. We could be researching treatment for this disease that robs people of their physical ability to function in the world (and eventually of their physical ability to breathe) all the while leaving their mental faculties in tact. We don’t research it because the victims don’t usually live long enough to make it worth the industry’s time and money. REALLY?!?!?

It’s senseless, that’s all I can say. Please take a look at Nick’s Blog and spread the word to people in your world. What a wonderful day it will be when we can say that no one in the world has to be held hostage by a senseless disease and that dear people like Nick won’t be stolen away from us. Thanks be to God for the hope of such a day.