pALS – ALS Foundation of Hawaii

May 26, 2023: Sign-Waving and “Lei of Remembrance” Memorial Ceremony

May 31, 2023

ALS awareness, Events, May is ALS Awareness Month, News, pALS, People with ALS

The Friday before Memorial Day, I drove to this quaint, orchid shop in Kahaluu, past the elementary school into this unassuming driveway where a small, barn-like shed with galvanized iron sheets for walls, houses a busy work arrangement of tables and chairs topped by all manner of workshop paraphernalia. A tall, lean, elderly lady with an envy-producing, ramrod-straight back, charmingly welcomes me with a smile. She knows what I came for – the 300+ purple dendrobium orchids that I will…

Remembering Vi Jones-Medusky: A Pioneer Planner for an ALS Residence for Hawaii

March 30, 2023

#NurseFrontliner, ALS Residence, Hawaii ALS Residence, Hawaii ALS Residence, People with ALS, People with ALS, Sharing stories

As we were adjourning from last Tuesday’s Regular Monthly BOD Meeting, Ronaele Whittington, brought up Violet Jones-Medusky. “Didn’t Vi pass away in late March?” Ronaele mused. Honestly, I can’t remember – I have been in many funerals of friends who have passed with ALS in the almost 40 years I’ve been involved with ALS in Hawaii. As memorable as Vi was – and should be in matters ALS in Hawaii – there have been just too many deaths to cram…

#GivingTuesday: “Let the sun shine through…”

November 26, 2022

#GivingTuesday2022, ALS awareness, ALS Residence, Hawaii ALS Residence, Help pALS, People with ALS

The basest of species, we are told, simply do not have the physical structure to provide the basis for complex emotions such as compassion. Paramecia and reptiles just don’t have it in them to feel anything beyond self-preserving “reactions” such as when in pain. Only more developed species have awareness beyond themselves that shows “others” as something more than their next meal. I’m talking generalities here (I have to qualify my statement, before someone who’s watched Jurassic Park points out,…

Justin Hendrix: “This is the End…NOT!’

November 7, 2021

ALS awareness, Books About ALS, Fundraising Project, Help pALS, pALS, Sharing stories

Finally! Justin Hendrix’s book has come off the press. “This is Not the End”, a self-published collection of personal experiences, heartwarmingly describes Justin’s life starting from when he heard from doctors in 2012 that he was terminally ill with ALS and what he did with what he thought was left of his life following that grave pronouncement. While working on our brochure in early 2018, four people with ALS agreed to have their images on the brochure as the “faces”…