LIFTS MONTHLY SPOTLIGHTS
Lifts Monthly Spotlights
May Spotlight Article Dan Petersen
Sometimes on the journey of life we are not entirely sure where or why we are headed in the direction that we are, but later it all becomes very clear. When Dan and his wife Barbara reflect on their journey to the Cincinnati area they feel blessed that their path led them to this area.
Dan and Barbara started their journey in Boston where they met in college and were married in 1972. Dan worked for a steel distributor. His career took them to Chicago in 1984 where they lived for 35 years. They raised 4 children, twin boys and 2 daughters. When grandchildren started to be in the picture they felt a pull to be closer to them and so in 2019 they made the move to Mason, Ohio.
Dan’s first symptoms of ALS were a change in his gait. Dan’s family members noticed this change before he did. Even though Dan was not aware of his change in his walk he was very aware that he was tripping when moving about in his normal routine. He also started to experience that one leg felt weaker than the other. Pain in his face is what led him to a neurologist's office. The neurologist ordered an EMG. They were watching him for changes. As with many ALS patients seeking answers, Dan saw many doctors trying to figure out what was going on with the changes in his body. He was referred to Dr. Neel, who evaluated Dan further. Dan received his official diagnosis of ALS in 2023. A few months into his diagnosis Dan’s voice began to change. At that time “voice banking” was initiated under the guidance of Professor Amanda Simmons at the University of Cincinnati.
Although the diagnosis of ALS was hard, Dan and Barbara felt blessed that they received this news in the Cincinnati area. They are amazed at the support system and health care options that are readily available to those in the Tri-state area. They speak so highly of the team at UC where they have the expertise of Dr. Neel, Pinky Dressman, Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, and Breathing Therapists. They also had more family around to help and support both Dan and Barbara.
Dan and Barbara are so thankful for the ALS support group meetings that they attend. It helps them feel less scared and they learn a lot of information to help them be prepared for the changes that they are facing. For instance, they recently made the decision to move into a condo so that their bedroom was on the main floor. Dan already feels that the move has helped lessen his fatigue from going up the stairs to their bedroom.
Dan shares that his lift chair from Always Lifting Spirits arrived just in time. The couple only had one chair that was firm enough for Dan to get in and out of. The lift chair has made life much easier. Dan said that he had never owned a recliner in his life, but now he is appreciating the relief that the recliner gives his leg pain. It makes his day much more pleasant to put his feet up and read his books while looking out at the water behind his new home.
Barbara shared that the whole experience of Dan being diagnosed and becoming part of the ALS community has changed their mindset from always giving help to now receiving and accepting help. She feels that there are many angels in the tri-state area that are supporting not only Dan, but herself and their family.
Dan is still living a full life and he looks at the future as an opportunity to make memories. He is happy he is able to work part time at a job that he started after retirement. He is especially cherishing time with his two grandsons.
Dan and Barbara know this is a difficult journey that they are facing, but they feel that they are equipped to face it head on thanks to the ALS community in our area.
April Spotlight Article The Event
The Always Lifting Spirits annual event has changed a lot over the years. Our first event was in 2015. Jeff’s Aunt Nancy was the pioneer that proposed that we host an annual fundraiser. Her vision many years ago has continued to grow and flourish over 9 years.
From 2015-2017, our event was held at Next Chapter at Mt. Adams. Each year the number of guests grew as did the number of basket raffles and auction items. The support that we felt from our friends and family was truly overwhelming.
In 2018, we moved our event over to the Taft Brewpourium on Spring Grove. We had been so blessed by our donors that we simply outgrew our previous venue and moving to a larger space was necessary. We would also have the event at Taft in 2019 as we continued to grow.
Unfortunately in 2020, we had to cancel our event, due to COVID. We rescheduled the April event for August thinking like the rest of the country that COVID would be over and we could move on with our plans. COVID also forced us to cancel the August rescheduled event. We maintained interest and engagement with our donors through online monthly raffles. 2021, played out similarly in that we planned an event, canceled the event, and hosted online monthly raffles.
Finally, in 2022, we came back to an in person event at Taft Brewpourium and it was the most crazy successful event we have ever had to date. We were humbled by the outpouring of support from our donors and the number of new donors that joined us.
Last year in 2023, we continued to host our event at the Taft Brewpourium. We hosted over 200 donors. Sheree Paolello from WLWT5 News hosted us in the studio and shared our story and passion with the Tri-State area.
This year we will be hosting our event at the Wegman Company. The Wegman Company is a truly unique space that is something to see. The Wegman family has quite the collection of Cincinnati Sports memorabilia and other intriguing pieces that we are sure our donors will enjoy seeing. We can not wait to experience our time together in this fun space.
Next year,we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary of assisting those with ALS. We are humbled that you have joined us in honoring the memory of Jeff and others that have been taken by ALS, those that are still in the fight with ALS, and those that will be faced with this battle in the future.
March Spotlight Article Ashley Najdovski and Michelle Heekin
During your twenties, it's common to explore and discover yourself. This period often involves completing studies, falling in love, and enjoying life to the fullest. Typically, young adults in their twenties do not anticipate having to factor in their parents' health. However, when faced with their father's ALS diagnosis, Jeff's daughters, Ashley and Michelle, rose to the occasion.
Ashley and Michelle cherish fond memories of their father from their childhood. Jeff valued family traditions, such as holiday celebrations, Sunday trips to the store, family dinners, and attending every Reds Opening Day. They admired how their father made them feel special, especially during milestone events like 16th birthdays. Overall, Ashley and Michelle always felt like they were Jeff's top priority. They also witnessed his altruism as he quietly supported others over the years. They reflect that Jeff was selfless up until the day he passed away.
At the time of Jeff's diagnosis, Michelle was in her junior year at Ohio University. She returned home to assist in caring for her father and later transferred to the University of Cincinnati. Despite his illness, Jeff encouraged Michelle to complete her studies, which she did by graduating from UC with her bachelor's degree and then earning a Master's degree at Ole Miss. Today, Michelle is married to Fred, working as a dietitian, and expecting a baby in July.
When Jeff received his diagnosis, Ashley was in nursing school at Good Sam Nursing school and newly engaged to Kris. Ashley and Kris accelerated their wedding plans to include Jeff in the celebration. After getting married, Ashley completed her last two semesters of nursing school. Ashley now works as an ER nurse at Good Sam and has recently celebrated her and Kris’ 10 year wedding anniversary.
Honoring their father's legacy, Ashley and Michelle are dedicated to supporting others affected by ALS through the Always Lifting Spirit - Jeff Weber Foundation. They aim to collaborate with other ALS organizations and explore innovative ways, beyond lift chairs, to assist ALS patients, a mission that would undoubtedly make their father, our foundation’s namesake, proud.
February Spotlight Article Lee Ann Lanter
Lee Ann Lanter’s ALS journey started like many. She noticed in June of 2023 that her hands were acting strangely. Tasks that she was able to previously do with one hand now required two hands. This presented to be challenging as she worked in a nursing home.
By August, she noticed that she started having difficulty with her speech. Although she was having these struggles she planned a trip to Florida in September with some coworkers. While preparing for her trip she fell and broke her collarbone.
Lee Ann’s sisters, Kelli and Lisa joined her care team right away as sisters do. One of the sisters always took Lee Ann to her appointments. It took several doctors appointments and tests, but on October 6, 2023 she received the devastating diagnosis of ALS. At the time of her diagnosis she lived on the second floor of an apartment. Kelli and Lisa agreed that over Thanksgiving Lee Ann would move in with Kelli since Kelli lives in a single level home. So while Lisa took on packing up Lee Ann’s apartment, Kelli and her family did some renovations to their home to help with Lee Ann’s mobility.
The sisters are quite the team. Kelli and Lisa work together to provide care for Lee Ann while also helping provide support while each has other appointments or work commitments to attend to.
Lee Ann is 60 years young. She often reflects back on her years of teaching dance. Although she hasn’t taught for many years, they are cherished memories for her. Lee Ann taught dance for 22 years at The Studio for Dance in Blue Ash. She taught ballet, tap, clogging, jazz, and pointe. She was very dedicated to teaching. She taught every day and on weekends while also working full time.
Lee Ann enjoys reading, but turning the pages in the book became difficult. She was so excited to get a new Kindle for Christmas that allows her to turn pages more easily. Her other passion is making Diamond Dot art. She has quite the collection waiting to be framed.
In December she received her lift chair from Always Lifting Spirits. She was so excited to have it. The first few nights that she had it she slept in it, because sleeping in bed was becoming very uncomfortable. Being able to get out of the chair by herself is very helpful. Also in December, Operation Ramp It Up installed a ramp to their home making it much easier and safer to get Lee Ann to her medical appointments.
Everyday Lee Ann tells herself to keep going - you can do it! Some days are hard, but with the love and support of her sisters and family she is!
January Spotlight Article Pinky Dressman
The New Year is always a time when people restart and refresh. 2024 is definitely a refresh for Yvonne Dressman aka Pinky.
Pinky has been a champion for the patients, caregivers, and families affected by ALS for 20 years, working as Care Services Coordinator for the Greater Cincinnati for ALS United Central and Southern Ohio (formerly known as The ALS Association Central and Southern Ohio Chapter). The new year is bringing restructuring of their organization. On January 31, ALS United Central and Southern Ohio will stand as a fully independent nonprofit organization. This restructuring gives them new opportunities in increasing and improving services and programs and adding more staff to help serve those affected by ALS.
Pinky is a Licensed Social Worker, who started her career by working with elderly people when an opportunity to work with ALS patients found her. She consulted her priest and her mother on the decision. They both encouraged her to take a leap of faith and take the position and she is so thankful that she did. Her first ALS support group left a lasting impression, as she was moved by the participants' bravery. Pinky has worked with countless patients and families over the years and has one patient she has worked with for 20 years.
During Pinky’s journey she has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in the management of ALS patient care. Her dedication to her patients is evident in the way she approaches her work with compassion and empathy, always striving to provide the best possible care. Her collaboration with Dr. Neel over a decade at the University of Cincinnati ALS clinic has been instrumental in improving outcomes and the daily life for those living with ALS. Her expertise and commitment to her patients make her an invaluable member of the clinic team.
Pinky is all about human connections. She manages support groups for patients, caregivers, and survivors. She values her time with all of her groups. Like most of us in the world she struggled with how Covid impacted her ability to assist ALS patients. During shut down she would conduct zoom support groups, but quickly realized that the personal connections that her ALS families had was missing. She fought very hard to get back to in person support groups. First meeting in parks and then eventually getting back to normal.
Pinky shares that her heroes are not on television, they are ALS patients and their caregivers. She feels so honored that these families let her walk with them through this journey. Pinky herself is also a hero in our books. Her passion for her patients, caregivers, and families shows in everything she does.
In addition to all the support and services that Pinky provides, ALS United Central and Southern Ohio provides the following FREE SERVICES to those with ALS:
Case Management
ALS Clinics
Equipment Programs
Reimbursement Grants
Support Groups and Education and Exchange Meetings
Information and Resources
Family and Caregiver Support
pALS to pALS Equipment and Supply Donation Program
To learn more about ALS United Central and Southern Ohio go to ALSohio.org.
December Spotlight Article Tom and Judy Weber
The Always Lifting Foundation has always been about assisting the ALS patient, but also supporting the caregiver of the ALS patient. This passion comes from a family that joined forces in support of Jeff. This month we will showcase Jeff’s parents, Tom and Judy.
Tom and Judy had both recently retired from their careers. They were enjoying those sweet moments of watching the grandkids and enjoying their free time. Suddenly, they found themselves as big contributors to Jeff’s care team as they helped him navigate his daily life as ALS quickly took hold of his body. Tom and Judy helped with making meals, running errands, and transporting Jeff to appointments. They feel so blessed that they were not in this alone. Jeff’s daughters, Jeff’s siblings and spouses, neighbors, and their church community all rallied and helped in so many ways.
It has been ten years since losing Jeff, but they are still passionate about supporting those with ALS and the caregivers that are assisting them.
Tom and Judy shared insight from their caregiving journey with Jeff in order to support the caregivers that are out there. Their first bit of advice is to not be too proud to accept help from anyone that offers. Taking care of a loved one with ALS is a lot, so anything that can be taken off of your plate is a good thing. Tom and Judy believe it took the whole village to take care of Jeff. From meal sign ups, helping move Jeff from his chair to bed each night, and getting him in his chair in the morning, to neighbors helping convert a bathroom downstairs to make it wheelchair accessible, to sitting with Jeff while they attended to their own needs.
Another important piece that they found very helpful was participating in a support group for the caregivers of ALS patients. ALS United Central and Southern Ohio hosts support groups in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus. Click on the following link to find the dates and time of groups. ALS Support Groups When you are going through a difficult time there is strength in communing with others that are on a similar journey. They also appreciated the advice and tips shared in the group of what plans and equipment they needed to consider to help them in Jeff’s care.
To all the caregivers out there, Tom and Judy want to tell you that you are doing a fantastic job, and to hang in there. We know that being a caregiver can be tough, and that you give so much of yourself to ensure the well-being of your loved one. It can be challenging to balance your own needs with the needs of the person you are caring for, but know that your efforts do not go unnoticed.
It is essential to remember that you are not alone in this journey. There are support groups and resources available to help you navigate the ups and downs of caregiving. We hope that you find the links below helpful.
ALS Ohio - ALS Ohio is a local resource that can help set ALS patients up with services that are needed.
I AM ALS - I AM ALS has help and support for someone living with ALS, their caregiver, and loved ones. I AM ALS also shares the latest ALS research
Roon -Roon provides ALS guides to everything related to ALS from nutrition to financial and legal aspects of ALS. They also have videos of experts answering questions about ALS.
November Spotlight Article Brooke Eby
How do you face adversity? Do you run, withdraw, scream and carry on? Brooke Eby faces it with humor.
Brooke was diagnosed with ALS in March of 2022 and is now a 34 year old in the battle of her life. Her ALS journey started in 2018 with her first symptom of limping. After many, many doctor visits and tests over a four year period she finally got to the earth shattering diagnosis of ALS.
Brooke is a vibrant woman with a huge personality. After a few months of digesting what this diagnosis meant and partaking in a lot of M&M’s she experienced a pivotal moment at a friend’s wedding. She resisted going at first, because she was using a walker by this time, but was encouraged to go by a friend. The scary entrance into her social circle with a walker ended up being the moment she needed to turn her mindset around. The evening evolved to her giving rides to her friends in her walker and the bride even did the limbo under the walker as Brooke held it up.
From that moment on Brooke realized that she would face the ALS monster head on by using humor. She started posting TikToks where she shares about her ALS journey. She tells the down and dirty, but keeps it comical and light.
Due to her spunk and personality she has gotten quite the social media following. She has been a guest on The Toast podcast and The Today Show. She has also contributed to ALS TDI, ALS One, and the ALS Association. In every venture that she takes her main objective is to bring awareness and help raise money towards fighting ALS.
To further the cause, Brooke has testified in Washington D.C. to ask for more funding towards ALS research, which is greatly underfunded. She has also pitched to celebrities to donate money. She has done all of this while still working and living a full social life with family, friends, and a boyfriend.
Brooke feels that her superpower is levity. She openly laughs in the face of ALS. You can not have a conversation with Brooke without there being a lot of laughter. Her spirit is contagious and she is just the kind of light that we need in our corner as we laugh in the face of ALS along with Brooke.
If you want to keep up with all that Brooke is doing, which is hard since she is fast moving, even in a wheelchair! You can follow her on all of the socials at LimpBroozkit.
October Spotlight Article Paul Tepe
What does freedom mean to you? For some, it is financial. For others, it is to act or speak freely. For some, it is having time to do what one wants. For Paul Tepe, freedom is what the equipment that Always Lifting Spirits has given him.
Paul was happily living a full life. He was working for Fidelity, playing golf, traveling, and running. Paul started noticing some changes in his physical health. In particular, he started having trouble with his left arm. The trouble that he was having with his arm was the start of his ALS journey. It took a while to get to the scary diagnosis of ALS, but that was the diagnosis. Paul and his wife Christy had to sit with it for about three months to process what this meant to their family including their grandkids, their day-to-day life, and their plans for the future. There were a lot of dreams that they felt were no longer possible, travel plans that they were not sure that they could go to, and family time that they would miss.
After processing what ALS looks like for Paul, Christy and their family they were encouraged to move forward and keep enjoying many of their passions. To start, Paul had a golf trip to Ireland planned, and he wasn’t sure he could go on. With support and encouragement, he went on the trip and was so glad that he did. They have since traveled to many places, it just looks a bit different than they had envisioned, but they still have been able to experience some great places and continue making great memories.
Going from being a very physically active person to having physical limitations has been a journey. Paul said that the scooter that Always Lifting Spirits was able to give him meant freedom to him. Paul’s wife Christy said that watching him go down the driveway smiling and laughing was like watching a 16-year-old who just got their driver’s license. Paul now felt that he could get outside more with Christy and move about in the neighborhood, partake in events such as the ALS Walk to Defeat, and get to go cheer on the Bearcats.
Paul also expressed that the lift chair came at the perfect time. He had become unable to get up from the couch, so now he was able to watch TV or read more comfortably in his lift chair. It also helped him to be able to rest more comfortably than he was able to in bed.
Paul and Christy expressed that above everything else they feel so blessed to have the support of family, friends, and organizations such as ours to help them navigate Paul’s battle with ALS.
