Post your thoughts here

Hi OJ, My wife was diagnosed with ALS Jan 09. I have always known her to be a fighter. She is a special education teacher in Chicago. She has been fighting for others her entire life. To ensure they are treated with respect and dignity. She now is also teaching those around us. She is teaching them about life. What is important, what matters and through all of this to still laugh and have fun! People who have this disease are the ones who are the true warriors. They battle for every step they travel, and for every word spoken. Our kids are trying to be strong, but they never have to put the brave face on. We know the score. Like you, she realizes she has reached far more people with having this disease than she ever would without it. And she is proud of that. I pray for you sir, and all those warriors out there with and without someone to pray for them. And I also pray that someone soon will discover a cure for this disease.

Dan D

Thank you for all you've done--for every play you've ever made in a Baltimore jersey, for all you contribute to the Ravens organization, but mostly for being a role model and inspiration. When my 5 month old son grows, you'll be someone he's knows not just for the jersey you wore but for the man you are.

God bless.

Brian Fisher

OJ and Chanda, you were the sweetest customers at Benny's Jazz Club, when you played for the Ravens! I haven't seen you personally in a while, but always manage to catch a glimpse of you on tv. Just recently, when the rookies were being welcomed to the new facility. I new, somehow, about your diagnosis, and you and Chanda have been in my prayers! If there is anything at all that I can do for either of you, please don't hesitate to reach out. You are two of the most beautiful people that I've ever met, and I feel honored to know you! May God continue to bless and keep you in His precious arms.

Peace and Blessings,
Carla! Richardson

I'm not one for wearing team jerseys but I would gladly buy and proudly wear one of O J's jerseys BUT I can't find them on this site or the Ravens site. I'll bet a lot of us would love to buy one and help honor a mans'man and fight ALS at the same time.
beachrd@aol.com

I was fortunate enough to know OJ for 1 year as a member of the 95 Stallions. The things that stays with me the most is how great of MAN OJ is (as well as a great player). OJ just did everything the RIGHT way.

OJ, I wish you and your family all the best and I pray that god may grant you strength and peace during your struggle.

Stay Strong

Does anyone sell Raven's jerseys with "BRIGANCE" on the back with his Raven's number with a portion or all of the proceeds going to fight ALS?

dear mr brigance,my name is george and i,m writing to you sir to offer any help with the ring,s for o.j.see i lost my mother in march of 2005 of a.l.s. wow what a disease!!here,s a little story see i,m the baby and only boy of 4.got really close to my mom,she divorced andraised my sister,s and i and worked two job,s.did a great job of raising her sibling,s.one day i was at work and got this phone call it was my mother.she said son i got a question too ask? i said go on.she said would you come up and take care of me i have a.l.s.i frooze,i mumbled,started crying and of course i said without a shadow of doubt yes..didn,t know nothing about the disease.but the next six month,s changed my life.i went from her walking with a walker to clasping in my arm,s breaking both ankle,s at the same time to feeding her,bathing her to standing their when she took her last breath.mr brigance please if you need anything from volunteer to a great doctor at john hopkin,s mrs wagner.i,m here for anyone who need,s help. please,please take care.god bless you and your family. sincerly george r sheetz jr 1849 dove ct severn md 21144

Hi everybody, my name is mike. I am currently talking with the DC/MD/VA chapter of the ALS Association about making a commemorative jersey. If anyone has a connection in the Ravens head office to make this a reality that would be fantastic. Of course all the proceeds would go towards the fight against ALS.

Hi
I am a new member but a big fan and have also worked w/ ALS patients as a nurse. Will there be a group of runners running in the 34th MCM for OJ Brigance's Brigade? If so, I'd like to join. If not, then I want to dedicate my 1st marathon to OJ and his fight for ALS.
Keep Fighting OJ! You are an inspiration for all of us!
See you at your Bday celebration :)
Kathy

OJ, I'm sorry to hear about your current fight, my prayers are with you man. I haven't spoken to you in years. we met back in 1995 when I was organizing a large professional golf tournament with J. Daly as our title name and your gfriend (Ellie) at the time was working in my office as one of our support workers. We spoke for a couple of hours regarding my Mustang and how you're a huge fan of the 5.0. I had no idea you went off and won a Super Bowl...fantastic!!! First you play for BC, then win a Cup with the Stallions only to surpass that by winning the Super Bowl. Amazing!! I'm proud to have met you, and wanted to let you know that my prayers are with you and stay strong, it's only a matter of time until they have solutions for ALS, hang in there. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask...simply send me an email. I'm not sure if you ever hit Vancouver anymore, but it'd be great to see you again. All my best, Michael B.

I have truly been inspired by your courage as I can completely understand the trememdous challenge you are going through. I have under gone many challenges with ALS, as it started in my family in 1981 when my Dad was diagnosed and gone within 6 months. A few months later my Aunt, (mothers sister)was diagnosed and then in 1981, I lost my mother to ALS. A little short of 6 months after my mothers death, I lost my uncle (mother's brother)to ALS. We thought we were through with that dreaded disease until it struck my big, strong handsome brother at his young age of 47 and he lost his battle at age 51, that was 2003. Then just last year, October of 2008, I lost my beautiful older sister to ALS who was diagnosed 4 months earlier at John Hopkins Hospital by Dr.Jeffry Rothstein. She had bulbar ALS and left us rappidly.
We greatly support ALS and hold many fundraisers under our Walk Team name Terry's B52's, Our brother who passed from ALS named the team.

Our remaining family continues the fight and continues to be strong. We are fearful for our family and children, but as long as we continue with courage, we will find a CURE for this awful disease. We support YOU! Debi Peeks - Terry's B52's

Mr. Brigance:

I saw you on tv months ago, but I could not remember your website address. Thank God I found it.

I sell supplements that are of the highest quality and potency that have helped with the most serious health issues. I wanted to let you know because researching them on my website will certainly not hurt you, but by the Grace of God who knows if they can help you. I would like to send you an amazing slide show of a young lady who was stricken and afflicted with terrible conditions. Her mother was determined to find something to help her daughter because all of the medications did nothing but worsen her daughter's conditions. Our supplements have help that young lady get back to her life.

If this is of any interest to you please visit my web portal at www.d2c2online.com. In the middle section, scroll down and click on Isotonix to begin learning about the products. If after your review you have questions, please don't hesitate to email me at d2c2online@comcast.net. From there I will give you my phone number so that we can talk.

I sincerely hope that I can help in some way.

Thank you,

Char Williams

I'm so proud to be your friend, OJ. You were one of the greatest men to ever play ball at Rice, and we all loved you then and never stopped loving you. Be strong, as always.

"This is the bottom of the ninth, the bases are loaded, and even if we cannot hit the ball out of the park, we have to try to be champions."

This made me think of you OJ ! (We have always thought of you as "The REAL JUICE" from the CFL days.)
Dr Gregg

ON BEING A DOCTOR
The Name of a Champion
Adam D. Falchook, MD

Annals of Internal Medicine 19 May 2009 | Volume 150 Issue 10 | Page 734
________________________________________
To get a name can happen but to few; it is one of the few things that cannot be brought. It is the free gift of mankind, which must be deserved before it will be granted, and is at last unwillingly bestowed.
—Samuel Johnson, English author, critic, and lexicographer (1709–1784)
In my second year of medical school, I entered a neuroscience lecture one September day as the New York Yankees were heading into the World Series. A list of numbers on the chalkboard was arranged in 4 columns that we began to copy down without knowing why, as is often the tradition in medical school. Our professor entered the room, lowered the projector screen in front of the numbers, and turned on the image of a smiling face wearing a Yankees baseball cap. The face was quickly recognizable to some. His name was known to us all. Over the next hour, we heard the poignant story of a man whose name had become synonymous with one of the most devastating and feared neurologic illnesses, yet whose most well-known words are that he considers himself "the luckiest man on the face of this earth." The numbers on the chalkboard were baseball statistics: batting averages, runs batted in, and home runs that spoke of a relentless motor neuron disease that decimated one man's strength but could not weaken the eyes, the mind, and the heart of an athlete. Even when he could no longer hit the ball out of the park, like all champions, he performed best when his team needed him and his batting averages and runs batted in remained higher when there were men on the bases. Lou Gehrig, the Iron Horse, became one of the few patients who would give his name to his disease.
Five years later, in my second year as a neurology resident, I found myself remembering this lesson as I faced one of the most difficult tasks in our profession. I had first met Mr. M. in a Gait and Balance Clinic at the Gainesville Veterans Affairs 3 months earlier. He was referred for a history of falls and progressive weakness in the right leg over the past 8 months. Looking at his thin and atrophied right thigh and the rippling muscle fibers over the calf, I was humbled and could barely speak when he asked me what I thought. I knew this could be only one thing, but I still couldn't fully believe it. Although he had fasciculations in both arms and legs, the weakness seemed to be only in 1 leg. Maybe it will turn out to be something else, I told myself. I told the patient that we needed to do some more tests and after that, we would talk about what is happening. Mr. M. shook my hand and told me that he was grateful for all of the care he received from the doctors at Veterans Affairs, and he asked me to call him by his first name. We arranged for the patient to get a motorized scooter and a home-safety assessment, and scheduled electromyography and nerve-conduction studies.
Shortly after the tests confirmed the diagnosis of motor neuron disease, Mr. M. was hospitalized for heart palpitations and found to have 3-vessel coronary artery disease. I saw him shortly after he was discharged from the hospital. He arrived in the motorized scooter, and his wife, daughter-in-law, and grandson joined us in the examination room. We talked, and they told me that he had been coughing when he ate, his voice had become softer, and he had developed increased weakness in the right leg. On examination, he had developed atrophy in the intrinsic hand muscles, had weakness of dorsiflexion with the left foot, and was barely able to lift the right leg against gravity. Pulmonary function tests done during the recent hospitalization showed evidence of an extrinsic restrictive ventilatory defect. It was time to tell the family what they came to hear, and again, I could barely speak and forgot everything I was planning to say. "Do you like baseball? Do you remember Lou Gehrig?" I asked. He replied, "He was a little before my time ... ." I could not put this off any longer, "The tests have returned, they suggest that you have Lou Gehrig's disease." We talked about the disease prognosis and made plans for where we would go from there.
In just over 2 years of residency, I have met hundreds of people, many of them going through the most difficult of times, sometimes people who are spending their lives recovering from events in their past. For Mr. M., finding out that he has Lou Gehrig disease must have been one of the most frightening and heartbreaking experiences he would ever have, even if he already suspected it. At that moment, I understood why it is so important and unique for a disease, especially amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, to be named not for the scientist who discovered it, but for a patient who faced it with strength and equanimity. I must do everything I can to help Mr. M. and all my other patients so that they can do the same. This is the bottom of the ninth, the bases are loaded, and even if we cannot hit the ball out of the park, we have to try to be champions.

OJ, I heard several months ago you were a P.A.L. (lovingly known in ALS community as a patient with ALS). During this time I was also helping my Beloved sister Jackie and family deal with this devastating illness. Jackie was 46 when she lost her battle to Lou Gehrig's disease on 1/14/09. Truly a very strong and courageous woman. Her initial onset of symptoms begin in 2001, and slowly progressed until, 2008, we noticed the rapid progression. Through it all, Jackie remained encouraging to all of us. During her last days, prior to be taken off the ventilator(her wish)... she communicated these last words to us via message board.. "Cheer Me On ! "

Research shows that 5-10% of ALS cases are hereditary or a genetic link. Our family has unfortunately experienced our share of this small percentage twice. We lost our mother to ALS in 1994. It was so baffling for us because she was diagnosed and two months later she was gone. It was unreal. At this time of course, Rilutek was non-existent and very little was known about ALS.

After reading your website and reading your message... I really appreciate your positive outlook on the disease and life as a whole. You are truly an inspiration to your team, family and friends,and other PALS as well.

I participate in various walks and fundraising events and public awareness campaigns... to Advocate, educate, and bring awareness to this devastating disease. If you get an opportunity please view our local website... www.stealingpieces.org. This exhibit travels the state of Florida as a Public awareness campaign and tribute to PALS and those deceased from ALS.

We must continue this fight... We will win ;) My dream... is a world without ALS!

Warm Regards,

~ Laurie Peterson

OJ:

I am a long term Saskatchewan Roughrider and BC Lion supporter and fan. Thank you for sharing your talent as a player, player development manager and for all the value you add as a family man, to your community and now to the ALS challenge.

You are such an example of how life can be a journey of continuous learning and growth. You seem to communicate that you never say "I know" which stops the growth but rather "this is what I have learned to date and I wonder how more I can learn over the next little while!" I believe you will be the first person to bring good health back into your life and overcome the challenge you currently are experiencing. Our thoughts, prayers and best wishes are with your family and you.

O.J.,
I want to thank you for helping Evan so much to finally reach his dream of getting his college degree! If it wasn't for YOUR patience, understanding, flexibility, knowledge and encouragement--he could have never walked across the stage! I was fortunate that I got to walk with him while getting my masters!
I wish I could meet you in person. I can never say I understand what you and your family must be going through, but my pastor of 22 years had ALS and I witnessed each day what he had to go through.

WE CAN WIN THIS BATTLE!
Also Isaiah 41:10 says "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you with my victorious right hand".

I know the players must love you. You are touching so many lives in ways you probably do not know. My family and I are always here for you!

Angie Pickens
University of North AL

Hey O.J.!
I was just watching the special teams film from the Super Bowl. We had some good times that week in Tampa! I am sorry I have not stayed in touch. When I moved to Jacksonville to coach with Jack I sort of lost touch with my friends who did not vacation down here lol.

Hope you are doing well. You are making such a difference in the lives of others. I tell people all the time that you had as many tackles in the Super Bowl as Ray did and you were the secret MVP. Certainly the Special Teams MVP of the game from Russ, Bennie and my perspective.

I will always remember you as the best athlete and person I have ever coached. No one more coachable or with more drive or professionalism than you. There's a reason why you have been a huge success in everything you have done in LIFE and that reason is your heart and your spirit. I know you spirit is flying high right now reading this - I thank God not for being on a Super Bowl team as the coffee boy coach, but for getting to work with people in my life who are so awesome, like you, Matt, Kyle, J-Lew, Mitch, and the whole crew on Teams that year.

God Bless - Love you brother,

Paul McCord

O.J it seems like yesterday I was watching you on the field winning the Super Bowl and you touched the sports fan in me. The I heard your fight against ALS and you touched the man in me. Everytime I think of you it brings a tear to my eye because of your strength and its amazing. I went to the AFC Championship gm last season in Pitt and seen you for the coin flip. That was the greatest moment of the game as a man to me. You are everything the Ravens stand for and more and more people in life need to be like you. I would love to be able sit down with you and hear stories of your playing days and your views on life because you are great. Keep fighting and doing the great job with the team that you do.

Bill of Southwest Baltimore

Hi O.J.
My name is Kinga and my mom was diagnosed with ALS a little over 3 years ago... since then i have become very involved in the ALS society trying to raise awareness and funds for research!! I just wanted to say that as someone who has seen this disease first hand you are truly an inspiration to everyone battling this disease! Thank you for all that you do!

I just saw a special on O.J. Brigance on ESPN Outside The lines - it was a great piece. I am a high school PE teacher in SoCal, played minor league baseball for 9 years, and my father-in-law passed away from ALS three years ago. I watched the special at lunch with tears in my eyes. It is so awesome that O.J. is still working and inspiring others, and lets us all remember how special life, friends, and family are to us all. Way to go O.J.!

DUDE!!! WHATS THE BUSINESS:0) I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT MY PRAYERS GO OUT TO YOU AND YOUR FAM. I STILL DROP BY THE FOKES HOUSE EVERY NOW AND THEN.SORRY I HAVENT DONE THIS SOONER. BUT YOU KNOW,LIFE AND ALL.HOLD YA HEAD MAN,GIVE THE REST TO GOD. YOU GOT THIS LICKED!

JEROME WHEELER CHASEVIEW DR.

OJ:

I pledge to fight this disease everyday. I pledge to not give in & to live each day to the fullest.

Team Radcliffe will be in force @ the Fiesta 5K this Saturday. Look for the lime green team shirts.

God Bless you.

Mike Radcliffe