Weekend Update – Walking For Those Who Can’t

We walked in support of a man who means so much to so many in our community.  

A man I am grateful to call a friend.  

A man who has been forced to give up most of the things in life that he loves, but who continues to bring so much to the community he loves.  

And in return the community gives back to him.

Dr. Jeff Sutherland is a father to 3 gracious and amazing boys, husband to a wonderful wife and doctor to hundreds in our town.

In 2007, Jeff was diagnosed with ALS  (Lou Gehrigs disease).  I always “knew” what that was.  What it did to those afflicted with it.  But I had no idea how horrifying it is to watch someone lose their life to it.  Literally.  When Jeff was diagnosed he looked fantastic.  Was still running regularly.  Working as he always had – delivering babies, working emerg and daily in his family practice.  Coaching his boys in hockey and soccer.

We have spent every Christmas eve day for the past 8 years or so at their place – they host a wonderful open house.  The first year of the diagnosis everything was as it always had been. Jeff was strong, happy, laughing – giving stronge, tight hugs.

The following Christmas, Jeff was using a walker and his speech was beginning slur quite a bit.  The hugs weren’t as tight.

This past Christmas, Jeff was in a fully motorized wheelchair with a computer attached for him to type and it speaks for him.  He lost almost all ability to speak.  Has lost all ability to control his muscles.  But his sense of humour – unchanged!!

When I see him I feel sad.  And more than a little angry (he would hate that – btw)

The only way I can describe this disease is CRUEL.  In how it robs the patient of any and all use of their muscles – yet their mind stays fully functioning.  A prisoner in their own mind.  In their own body.

Yet through it all Jeff maintains a positive attitude and his smile remains the same.

I have known this family for 15 years.  They employed me to watch their firstborn when Darlene went back to work when Zachary was 6 months old.  It was a fantastic “job” and they were easy to work for.   When I was offered a full time job in a facility, my mom took over and ended up watching Zach and Ben – who arrived 18 months after Zach.  (Nathaniel arrived 18 months after Ben!)  

My parents were honoured when Jeff and Darlene asked them to be Zach’s godparents.

I remember the fun we had when Sean coached Zach in his first 2 years of soccer.  Jeff needed an assistant coach as he was on-call alot for the hospital, so he asked Sean.  We had no kids but it gave us a very early introduction to kids sports.  

Sean and I regularly took Zach to his hockey program when he was 4 (as Jeff often worked hospital shifts and Darlene had 2 babies at home).  We would talk about how we hoped to have all boys – just like them.

I will never forget that after each of my deliveries (all 3) – Jeff was working in emerg and he came down to see me and cuddle with my new baby.  After Cam was born he told me he was proud of me.  It meant alot.  I had gone from their babysitter to a wife and mom.

After Cuyler was born, we joked all the time that he was our personal mohel.  He was the only person I’d trust with that task.  And he did a good job!

After Eva was born he came from emerg and visited.  He said he’d wheel me from the delivery room to my room where the boys were waiting to meet their new sister.  He wanted to be there when they met her for the first time.  I’m glad we shared that moment with him.

There have been alot of good times shared with Jeff and Darlene.  And especially their boys – Sean and I spent a lot of time with them when they were very young.  I think that spending so much time with the Sutherland boys gave me a glimpse into the future and how Sean would be as a father.

I can only hope that my kids grow up to be as kind and caring as those boys.  They are truly good people and are having to deal with something that no young men should have to.  My heart breaks for them.  Watching their father deteriorate and seeing ALS take over his body.  As I said – a cruel disease.

Jeff and his family were featured on CTV piece a few weeks back:

So today we went to walk in support of Jeff.  We walk for him because he can’t.  

The ALS ad campaign asks “What would you do, while you still could?”
Walking is the very least we can do.  And the entire community we live in came out to walk for him.