Why Roger Walks

By Anonymous -


I met Roger Brannon, retired Marine, in March 2018. On May 23, 2016, nine days after his 45 birthday, Roger was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).  Not the news he expected to be dealing with when planning life at 45 and beyond.  But it didn’t take this strong, brave Marine long to decide what he was going to do with his diagnosis. When the neurologist told Roger that he might have ALS, He researched ALS and was surprised by what he read. The first fact he found was that military veterans are twice as likely to get ALS. This hit home with him.

Roger shared with me that when he was in the Marine Corps he made it a point to stay out of the spotlight. He didn’t like to be in the spotlight. He would rather be working in the trenches alongside his fellow Marines. He always put the mission first and personal wellbeing second. But ALS has changed this. He wants to put himself and ALS in the spotlight. “Today, I want to get my story out there—I want ALS to be in the spotlight—I want it to get the recognition it deserves. I will not go into all of the numbers because I could talk all day, but this one is important to me. Twenty-five percent of the National ALS registry represents Veterans. I want people to know that—I want that number to be in the spotlight."

May was ALS Awareness month. One of Roger’s goals, as he is fighting ALS, is to raise awareness and drive more research to find a cure for this disease. I am trying to help Roger with this goal.   The Walk to Defeat ALS DC/Maryland/Virginia Chapter takes place on October 13, 2018, in Washington, DC.  Roger’s team Bursting Bomb would love to have as many walkers this year as possible.   Please consider signing up for the walk. It will be a fun day with a very worthwhile purpose.   Here is the link to check out- The time is now to defeat ALS!

Roger, his family and I, thank you very much for considering joining the team in support of Roger’s goal and all those affected by ALS.
Check out this link and meet Roger-
https://www.facebook.com/ALSofDCMDVA/videos/vb.53861851169/10154736060291170/?type=2&theater
Location: Richmond, VA, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts!

Kristin Is Keen On Her New Job

By Anonymous -
Image
Kristin and Nancy began working together in June of 2018. Together they then found her a job at a local Pizza Hut in September of that year. Kristin was interested in customer service, food service or animal care so finding the position at Pizza Hut was a great fit. There are limited employers in her area so they looked at the few employers that were in her area and also branched out to Smithfield. Smithfield is the closest town with employers and that is where she found the job.  Kristin is very friendly and easy going so it is easy for her to get along with everyone. Kristin is highly motivated to learn new things, which has paid off in her job as a crew member. She was hired as a Customer Service Representative, but now also serves customers and runs the register.  Upon trying to place her in a job in her area, Nancy and Kristin faced a couple of other obstacles. Kristin relies on her mom to transport her at this time and has had a very limited work history. In the...
Read more

2 billion people will need this tech by 2050: Injured vet shares the good and bad

By -
Image
Phil Swinford's house is full of tech that helps him live more independently, but he's betting it's also going to help him to walk again. (Phil Swinford plays music on his phone.Megan Wollerton/CNET) " OK Google , text Pamela ICE [in case of emergency]," says retired US Army Col. Phil Swinford from his home in the Virginia suburbs, roughly an hour's drive from Washington, DC. He's using Google Assistant on his Android phone to talk to his wife, Pam, who's working today at her consignment shop, the Copper Cricket, a few miles away. I'm listening in, which feels a little too invasive, but it's OK: This text is just for demo purposes. "Sure," Google's AI responds. "What's the message?" "Hey, babe. I love you," Phil says clearly and deliberately into his phone. "I got, 'Hey, babe. I love you,'" it speaks back to him. "Do you wanna send it or change it?" "Send i...
Read more

Lauren found success through Vocational Counseling!

By -
Image
Katelyn Lacy, a vocational counselor in the Central Virginia region, started working with Lauren Garrett in April of 2017.  They began by completing extensive job development training for four and a half months. Together, they worked on job interviewing skills, social interactions within interviews as well as with coworkers.  Lauren worked on distinguishing boundaries with coworkers as well as learning appropriate topics of conversation in the workplace. While Lauren has many personal strengths — she is a straightforward and friendly person— when Katelyn began working with her it was clear she wasn’t a fan of change. However, as time went on, Katelyn was able to support Lauren through the transition of finding employment, transportation, and learning communication styles with different individuals in different environments.  After this learning period and 11 interviews, Lauren obtained her current position at UVA Runk Dining Hall with Aramark as a Food Service worke...
Read more

Peter Mance Jr.'s PBS debut

By -
Image
  Justin Cordin met Peter Mance Jr. ,family-centered outdoor and traveling enthusiast on February 2020. Cordin introduced Mance to various interviewing techniques to help him communicate with HR professionals which could determine prospective jobs he would apply for. Mance brought to the table an array of personal strengths such as determination, ambition and a fearless personality which contributed to his success. This meant Cordin had a great canvas to work with! He helped Mance find ways to favorably package and present past work experiences (including working as an on-camera TV host, production and some filming) to future employers. For example, Mance and his mom created and run a T.V. series and Cordin together with Mance reviewed ways to pitch the idea as a series to T.V. executives. Since their meeting, Mance has improved in leaps and bounds. It is evident in his newfound confidence when engaging in dialogue. He was previously reticent and nervous when speaking. Wh...
Read more