On the eve of our arrival back to Vancouver I am left with thoughts of our trip across Canada.  First off, we went to the UBC campus in Kelowna yesterday and hugged students while informing them about ALS.

Today we took our time getting to Kamloops so we could do some filming and then we had a fundraising dinner at the local Fogg & Sudds where we got to meet local patients, family members, and volunteers for the ALS Society.  We had a great night and also raised around $1100.00!  Thanks Kamloops for having us and throwing us such a nice going home party!

It’s going to be strange going home tomorrow.  I am still not sure if I am ready to go back to work yet, but I don’t have a choice.  I am scheduled to be there at 6:30am on Thursday and just for fun I will be working 6 days in a row!!  At some point everything that has happened on this trip is going to hit me…probably all at once!  My only hope is that anyone who has followed this journey will ask themselves the question of “how can I help make a difference?”  I say this because I ask it of myself.  Helping comes in many different forms and can be as simple as mowing the lawn of an elderly neighbour who just lost her husband all the way to riding a motorcycle across Canada.  I hope that we have inspired each of you ask yourself what kind of person do you want to be…the kind that talks about doing things or the kind that does things?  I hope that we have reminded each of you to do what is important to you and to live each day to the fullest.  I hope that we have been able to educate you on ALS and bring awareness to this terrible disease.  I hope that we have motivated you in some small way to get involved in something that is important to you, whether that is ALS or something else. 

If you choose to get involved with ALS you won’t regret it.  You will meet the most amazing people on the planet.  Your heart will be touched and your life will be changed.  You will, in fact, be a better person and you will appreciate life for what it is and not for it’s not.  For this, I thank ALL of the patients we have met and of course their families, for sharing their stories and lives with us…a couple of crazy kids from Surrey.  I dedicate this ride (and this entire journey) to all of YOU! 

As I sit here tonight and type my thoughts while listening to Coldplay I realized that I blogged nearly everyday.  I really hated the idea of doing this and in the beginning I had no idea how people could… communicate ideas online that other people (people you don’t even know) will read.  Now, in looking back I realize how therapeutic it has been for me.  Letting you all get a sense of this trip and what we are going through as well as giving you an idea of what ALS is and how it affects each patient has been a huge part of this adventure.  Stay tuned, cuz I am sure there will be more good stuff ahead as well as updates on new adventures and fundraising.

I hope that we have a great movie to take with us to Cannes, and I hope that we will have a film that will make each patient we have met proud.  We truly appreciate your openness to talk about this disease on camera…we know it is not an easy thing to do.  We hope that you will all stay in touch with us and let us know how you are doing.  Bob from Newfoundland, we want to come and ride ATV’s with you so keep us posted!  Also, Don from Newfoundland, we still want to walk across the rock next year as well.  And let’s not forget Calgary where I am hoping to ride and rope something…preferably of the cow species! 

On a personal note, I am going home tomorrow!  (a big high five and double thumbs up – there are several ALS patients who know exactly what I am talking about!) I am looking forward to seeing family and friends as well as my cat, but I will be missing my dad and my sister who are no longer with me.  I have often wondered what they might think about this trip and what they might say about me packing up and leaving home for 7 ½ weeks on a charity mission.  I will never know the answer to those questions, but I do know that my dad taught me to follow my dreams.  He, as the son of an immigrant family, is the one that taught me if you work hard than you can accomplish your goals.  I believed that once in my life, and then I lost my way for a time.  Now, I have a renewed faith in humanity and I truly believe that we can accomplish our goals if we work hard and commit ourselves.  Think what we could do if we all did a small part that as a collective would contribute to the greater good of mankind.  Think of all the marvelous things we could do…..

For my father, I promise to continue to live my life with passion and be true to my beliefs and stand up for what is right.  I promise to live my life by my word, because in the end that’s all you really have.  Your word is who you are. 

For my sister, I promise to listen better and to be less judgmental. 

For ALS patients, I promise that this is not the end for me.  I will continue my plight for awareness and I will continue to fundraise until the day has come when it is not needed.

Thank you to everyone who has helped us along the way.  Thanks for opening your hearts and your homes, your continued support has made it possible for us to carry on.  Thanks to everyone who has donated money to this cause…from buying shirts to stuffing cash in the bins to online donations to all the people at the gas stations across Canada who ask who we are and what the heck we are doing! 

And last but not least, a big thanks to our crew who has endured this journey right along with us….through the good times and bad.  I know I have asked a lot of you and pushed you at times when I probably shouldn’t have.  I hope you have enjoyed your experience and will look back on this project and journey with pride.  I am proud of each of you and will miss having you around each day.  (I know it’s hard to believe isn’t it!)

-jeannie
 

Last Modified : October 24th, 2007 Filed under : On Location, On The Road Navigate : Previous post / Next post