Jack Orchard, Lou Gehrig's disease, ALS
FILE: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2007 -- Jack Orchard and his girlfriend, Kristen Williamson, share a moment as they search for music on the computer on Tuesday at their home in Richmond Heights. Orchard wrote his memoir about his life with ALS. Even though he can't move his body, he uses a device that tracks his eye movement to navigate the computers. He also started a charity, Extra Hands for ALS, that help match student volunteers to assists people with the disability. (Huy R. Mach/P-D)
By Harry Jackson Jr.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
07/06/2009
Jack Lampl Orchard died Saturday (July 4, 2009) after a long battle with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He was 41.
"He fought ALS; he never let it beat him," said Mark Jaffe, a lifelong friend. "He was always a fighter. On our high school football team, he was the captain in our senior year, even though he wasn't the biggest or the strongest. That's just how he was. Always a fighter."
Mr. Orchard, a successful international entrepreneur, is best remembered for forming two foundations to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: the Jack Orchard ALS Foundation, which according to friends and family raised more than $1 million for ALS research; and the Extra Hands for ALS Foundation, which recruits and trains young people across the country to help people living with ALS.
1 comment:
i'm always touched when you post a story about someone with ALS. it reminds me of all i need to be praying about for you. it breaks my heart. stay strong. remember that somewhere in Florida, someone prays for you every day.
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