Heart of Hope bracelet benefiting ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
Product Description
Imagine a perfect, sunny weekend day. You and your family/friends have headed to the coast for some much needed fun in the sun. You arrive at the beach and get your real estate all staked out...your picnic unpacked. Someone decides it would be great fun to bury you in the sand…you agree! The hole is carved out; you lie down and get comfy. Pretty soon your legs, torso, chest and arms are nestled into the warm, wet sand. Your head is peeking out and you can turn enough to enjoy the view of the ocean. Their work complete, your friends take off for the water to splash around, leaving you to meditate and enjoy the view. You turn your head toward the ocean, just in time to see your child slip and be carried out to see by a swift under-current. You struggle to get loose from the sand, but cannot. You start to panic…what if I never get out? You call out, but everyone is out of earshot. It’s as if you have no voice at all. You can do nothing but lie helpless and watch,knowing all the while, exactly what is happening. You now have a taste of what life is like for an ALS patient.
ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that usually attacks both upper and lower motor neurons, causing a "short circuit" throughout the brain and spinal cord. Nerves and muscles are unable to communicate. The most common first symptoms are weakness in the hands, arms, foot or legs, causing a patient to drop things or trip and fall. Other symptoms can include difficulty with speech or swallowing, where the patient appears to be drunk.
Bill Lichtig, my beloved friend and partner for 25 years, lost his body to ALS, 1 year and 5 days after his diagnosis. It was a blessing and a curse to have it go so quickly. He was the 5th family member in 3 generations of Lichtigs, lost to ALS. “How do I channel my grief? How can I honor the life of my best friend and those who walk this crazy ALS path with me? How in the world can I raise awareness about this hideous disease without slipping on one of those wretched silicone bands? My goodness when did I get so vain?” So many questions….
And yet, these are the questions that inspired the creation of the Heart of Hope bracelet benefiting ALS. This is the original bracelet that launched my studio into creating Jewelry with a Conscience™. The design was inspired by the pinstriped uniform of Yankee great, Lou Gehrig. You will receive many compliments! Where you take the conversation is up to you. My fondest hope is that you will raise your voice proudly to educate…help everyone you know understand how crappy this disease really is.
Please direct the donation portion of your purchase to: The ALS Association, ALS-TDI (Therapy Development Institute) or Augie’s Quest, benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association. If you would like a specific ALS chapter to benefit from your donation, please give me the chapter name in the comments!
For other thoughts on ALS, you are invited to visit http://dftals.blogspot.com
Photo credit: G.Post - www.craftphoto.com
ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that usually attacks both upper and lower motor neurons, causing a "short circuit" throughout the brain and spinal cord. Nerves and muscles are unable to communicate. The most common first symptoms are weakness in the hands, arms, foot or legs, causing a patient to drop things or trip and fall. Other symptoms can include difficulty with speech or swallowing, where the patient appears to be drunk.
Bill Lichtig, my beloved friend and partner for 25 years, lost his body to ALS, 1 year and 5 days after his diagnosis. It was a blessing and a curse to have it go so quickly. He was the 5th family member in 3 generations of Lichtigs, lost to ALS. “How do I channel my grief? How can I honor the life of my best friend and those who walk this crazy ALS path with me? How in the world can I raise awareness about this hideous disease without slipping on one of those wretched silicone bands? My goodness when did I get so vain?” So many questions….
And yet, these are the questions that inspired the creation of the Heart of Hope bracelet benefiting ALS. This is the original bracelet that launched my studio into creating Jewelry with a Conscience™. The design was inspired by the pinstriped uniform of Yankee great, Lou Gehrig. You will receive many compliments! Where you take the conversation is up to you. My fondest hope is that you will raise your voice proudly to educate…help everyone you know understand how crappy this disease really is.
Please direct the donation portion of your purchase to: The ALS Association, ALS-TDI (Therapy Development Institute) or Augie’s Quest, benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association. If you would like a specific ALS chapter to benefit from your donation, please give me the chapter name in the comments!
For other thoughts on ALS, you are invited to visit http://dftals.blogspot.com
Photo credit: G.Post - www.craftphoto.com
