Like many ALS patients, Jamie Kuntzmiller relied on the support of his family after being diagnosed. In early 2000, while living in Florida, Jamie started to notice his softball game was suffering. He was a little slower getting off the base. He also noticed his speech was slower than usual and slurred. Concerned he may have experienced a stroke, Jamie’s family suggested he consult a physician. While they awaited results of numerous tests, one of Jamie’ sister researched his symptoms online and ALS popped up.
Approximately one month later Jamie was diagnosed with ALS. Eventually he left his job and his mother moved in to help care for Jamie. He stopped driving, began using a wheelchair and slowly lost use of his legs and hands. His frustration was evident as he struggled to communicate with the outside world. His sister explained, “He wanted to be heard and not ignored.”
Jamie’s three sisters made frequent trips to Jamie’s home in Florida. They would visit Jamie and give their mother a much needed respite from her job as caregiver. Although ALS is terminal, Jamie’s death was sudden. After a long night of struggling with his breathing, his mother awoke to hear him take his last breath. Jamie’s suffering was over.
Though Jamie passed away in 2003, his family continues the fight, their dedication evident in the commitment of his niece, Abby. Abby remembers volunteering for her family’s annual Tag Days drive in Sycamore, IL, and walking as part of their team in the ALS Walk4Life. “Continuing to be involved with the ALS cause was never a question for my family, it was just a matter of how we wanted to get involved. The Les Turner ALS Foundation has been that outlet and Tag Days and Lou Gehrig Day at Wrigley Field have become annual events for us! It is a great way for us to remember Jamie and help raise ALS awareness,” Abby says.
Inspired by the work of the Les Turner ALS Foundation, Abby spent time as an intern at the Foundation in 2008. She rejoined the team beginning in late spring 2009, after receiving her communications degree from Michigan State University.
Abby officially joined the full-time staff in October 2009 as a Special Events Associate and was promoted to Special Events Manager in January 2011. Where she once served as a volunteer for the Sycamore Tag Days drive, she now oversees all Tag Days drives conducted on behalf of the Foundation each May. Abby also oversees Lou Gehrig Day at Wrigley Field and works closely with the rest of the special events staff on other events such as the Walk4Life or the Hope Through Caring Award Dinner. Abby and her sister, Brooke, have also been instrumental in establishing the Young ProfessionALS, a group of those young and young at heart who organize fundraisers and other events to raise awareness of ALS.
In the fall of 2011, Abby, an avid runner, will compete in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. She will be running with other members of the Run4ALS team, and hopes to raise at least $1,000 to further the fight against ALS. “The determination I will need to train for the marathon is nothing compared to the determination that an ALS patient has to live each day.”
Never content, Abby continues to look for new ways to contribute to the cause. “I love getting to know our patients, families and supporters. It is because of them that the Les Turner ALS Foundation is capable of accomplishing such great things. Everyone wants to do their part in this ongoing fight and we will keep doing what we need to do in order to raise more awareness and vital funds for research and patient services.”
Like Abby and her family, you can choose to get involved in a variety of ways. You can compete in a Run4ALS race, form a team for the Walk4Life, volunteer—or find your own niche. What will you do to join the fight?
