Finding new ways to help my ALS community
ALS patient Brian Wallach and his wife, Sandra Abrevaya, have made a significant and positive impact on the ALS community via their heart-wrenching 2022 documentary, “For Love & Life: No Ordinary…
OutSpoken — James Clingman
James Clingman lives in Easley, South Carolina, with his wife Sylvia. He developed ALS symptoms in 2009 and was diagnosed on August 23, 2013. Although he is in the later stages of this disease, his goal remains to expand awareness and knowledge of all facets of ALS as well as other lesser-known diseases. He wants to encourage everyone to acknowledge the blessing of life no matter what hand they are dealt. He is also a former adjunct professor, author, business consultant and has a daughter, Kiah, who lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Sleeping with the enemy after an ALS diagnosis
I’ve previously written about sleeping and described how bedtime is one of my most anticipated periods of the day. In this column, I’d like to go a little deeper and get some feedback…
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Planning ahead after receiving the bad news of an ALS diagnosis
“Plan for what is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small.” — Sun Tzu, “The Art of War” In an earlier column, I noted that there was…
Let’s turn ALS Awareness Month into a year-round movement
As I read my daily emails and text messages, I think of my condition and what ALS Awareness Month means to me. How does it make me feel? What can I do to…
ALS is hard enough on its victims, but what about the children?
Among the various problems of life that families experience is the occasional exclusion of children from conversations. I remember hearing the older members of our family saying, “This is grown-folks’ business.” They’d tell…
We must do more to accelerate the diagnosis and treatment of ALS
ALS was first identified in 1869, though its symptoms were documented in medical literature as early as 1824. It’s intriguing that the sequence of the disease today is often similar,…
On tough days when ALS tests my spirit, I turn to music
While living with ALS, I have days when I’m low in spirit and need something to lift me out of the doldrums. When this happens, two things help me: a visit from…
FACT Relief, Quiet Hero Party bring needed ALS awareness, support
On Feb. 17, a party was thrown in Atlanta, Georgia, in celebration of ALS patients and their caregivers. It was a chance to promote awareness about the ongoing needs of the victims…
Living my life in the key of D minor
After a great deal of introspection, I decided for this month’s column to reflect on my life as it stands now. I wanted to write about it without being too ominous and dreadful, but…
Preparing for accidents that will happen, guaranteed
Accidents can and will happen. Do you have a plan for when they do? The two accidents I’ve feared the most since being debilitated with ALS are getting scalded in the shower and…
Ady Barkan leaves an indelible legacy of tenacity and advocacy
I must use the privilege of this column to acknowledge the passing of one of our ALS heroes, Ady Barkan. A young, stalwart, and dedicated husband and father, Ady spent the final…
ALS or not, we must learn how to use our time wisely
Have you ever really thought about time? What it is and what it means? When you take a deep dive into time, you’ll find there are two dominant stages: memories of the past and…
