Mt. Sinai Woman Walks For Uncle With Lou Gehrig’s Disease

There is no treatment and no cure for the disease that Mount Sinai resident, Kristy Bohne’s Uncle Doug Pendrell has been diagnosed with: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or as it’s also commonly known, Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Last month, Bohne arranged for her family to trek to the in East Meadow to show support for her uncle and to raise money for the Greater New York Chapter of The ALS Association, a nonprofit that provides patient services to people with ALS and funds scientific research into drug therapies and a cure.

Pendrell, 60, is the only one in his family to contract the disease. He is a scientist, recently retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers where he worked as a geologist.

At the end of last year he noticed some tiredness in legs and he started dropping things easily. Like many others eventually diagnosed with ALS, it took months ruling every thing else out. Pendrell has taken his diagnosis in stride and has a “positive attitude,” which has been inspiring to his niece.

She said that when her uncle found out he had ALS he asked for help in researching the disease and become involved in anything to help find a cure. Raising money for The ALS Association was one way the family thought the family could pitch in to help.

"My cousin Lisa Sandoval did a great job at finding and organizing the Walk to Defeat ALS," Bohne said.

Before taking part in the Walk, Bohne and her cousin who lives in New Jersey held simultaneous Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments to raise money for the walk team they have called "Team Doug-Out."

Bohne’s tournament raised $752 between donations and raffles. Local Mt. Sinai businesses like Lipstick and Lollipops, Bagel Café, Hallmark and Sports for Girls all donated items for the raffle baskets.

Currently, Pendrell lives in Omaha, Nebraska but his disease has progressed far enough that the family wants him to return home to Long Island. He plans to attend an ALS clinic in the Neurology Department at Stony Brook Hospital.

At the walk, Pendrell’s brothers, his son and his father were all there along with Bohne’s children to show support.

Bohne said her uncle was a very active man, who kept himself healthy, taking frequent walks.

“It’s sad,” she said. “He loves to go fishing and he can’t because he can’t hold the fishing pole anymore.”

Click here to donate to Kristy Bohne's Walk to Defeat ALS team and help find a cure for ALS and support vital patient services.