WADE'S STORY

Valentine’s Day 1997:  I remember it like it was yesterday. The plan for the day was simple, or so I thought. I was going to fly home, go to the doctor, fly back to Austin, and finally hit the road to San Antonio for the date I had planned with my girlfriend. Simple enough, right?

Everything was going according to plan. The flight took off and landed on time. I got to the Medical Center with more than enough time to spare. All of the tests went off without a hitch. It was easy. And then the neurologist walked in the room. He asked me to do one thing: stick out my tongue. After about 2 seconds, he told me he would be right back. Five minutes later, he and another doctor came in the room and I will never forget the question he asked. "Wade, do you know what ALS is?" As soon as he said the term ALS, I went completely numb.

It all began the summer before my senior year of high school in 1993; although I had no idea the symptoms were going to lead to my diagnosis four years later. I was getting horrible cramps in my legs and feet. Being an athlete I thought it was related to that. The cramps never went away but after a few months the pain had become less intense. I graduated from St. Thomas High School and went on to spend three semesters at the University of St. Thomas.

After UST, I transferred to St. Edward's University in Austin to have a chance to fulfill my dream of playing college baseball. My first semester in Austin was the spring of 1996 and my symptoms started to accelerate almost immediately. There were days when I would wake up with my right arm numb but after an hour or so it would be fine and my play on the field was never affected. I came home after my first season and visited my sports medicine doctor for tests on my right arm. He could not find anything wrong but I could tell my skills were declining while playing summer ball. It got even worse when I went back to school and played fall ball for the school. It came to a head during the early part of the season in the spring of 1997.

On Valentine's Day, just six weeks before my 21st birthday, I flew home to see a specialist and was given the bad news. Talk about being in shock. People my age are not supposed to get Lou Gehrig's Disease. I had a choice between giving up on my dream or to fight for it. Obviously, I chose to fight. I flew back to Austin and went on the date I had planned for that night. I finished the baseball season, which would be my last. My life went on. Perhaps my proudest personal achievement was getting a 3.8 GPA that semester.

 

In December of 1998, I graduated from St. Edward's and moved back to Houston to pursue another dream of mine, to coach high school baseball. I had the honor of coaching at my alma mater, St. Thomas High School, for four years. I can honestly say I have never had more fun and it all came to a climax when we won the State Championship in 2001. Behind the birth of my nephews, that day was the second best of my life. The next season was my last as it had become too much of a physical drain on my body because of the disease.

Many, many people have wondered why I can get so upset after losing a baseball game or striking out at the plate while remaining so even keel about living with ALS. And I cannot tell you how many times I have heard someone ask how I can have a smile on my face with all the adversity this disease brings upon myself and those around me.  At some point, you have to accept the challenge God gives you and begin to fight.  I accepted my challenge on that flight back to Austin.

To be continued.....