When I met the man that would become my husband in 1997, I had no idea what I was in for. Kole is an amazing man, with a heart of gold and enough inspiration to last a lifetime. This once strong man would weed flower gardens, mow lawns, and dance at our wedding; none of which he can do now.
Kole was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis at a very young age of 17, but Doctors say he was born with it. ALS became known when a baseball player, Lou Gehrig, was diagnosed and died shortly after. The average life span for someone with ALS is 3-5 years. ALS is tricky to diagnose, so by the time it is found, most are already pretty close to dying. I know it sounds morbid, but there are no treatments or cures to prevent it, death is inevitable. The progression is very slow, even less is known about it and a small percentage are even diagnosed with it.
“Kole has always been out there helping
people, but now he needs that help himself.”
This “death sentence” is what Kole has. Over the years, he has slowly lost his ability to do regular things. A few years ago, he lost hand controls. Next, he is in his wheelchair all the time. And finally, his inability to drive himself around is completely taken away. As one can imagine, losing your independence weighs heavily on a person. Kole has never let ALS get to him and he is refusing to let it win. His disease robbed him of his dreams of playing football or basketball, but he won’t let it rob him of his strength, courage, spirit, hope, attitude or faith.
Kole has been my inspiration ever since I met him. We have 2 children together. Everyday I wake up, he inspires me to keep going, to breath, to love life everyday and most importantly, to appreciate life everyday we are alive. He inspires our children to keep going, no matter what happens. He teaches them “nothing is given, so cherish everything.” He’s worked everyday through this fight, and even today he wants to be out there helping people.
From the beginning, he never let ALS get the best of him. Kole has never wanted to be the center of attention and never really would talk about his disease. He doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for him or to make a big fuss over what he says is “nothing”. But he has no choice now.
Kole needs all of our help! He needs a wheelchair van that is reliable and will last his lifetime. These wheelchair vans cost a small fortune. A good, used van can cost about $30,000 or more. Because of that, we are fundraising and raising awareness for the atrocious cost of what it means to be disabled. Kole has always been out there helping people, but now he needs that help himself. Let’s show him how much he means to our community.
Saturday, Oct 17, 2015 we are having a Fundraiser/Awareness Dinner with a silent auction. We have one week left to sell all the tickets we can to give the caterer a headcount! Space is limited. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at Gere-A-Deli or Sebo’s any time, just ask for them. Saturday Oct 10th, I will be at Sebo’s selling tickets and answering questions you may have. Those that would like to help, but can’t be there, can go to US Bank in Anacortes and donate in an account in my name, Jessica Pepper, or by going to https://www.youcaring.com/kole-pepper-jessica-pepper-and-family-382222 . We appreciate any help and would like to thank everyone for their continued support. Living and breathing this disease, every day, while it slowly kills all his muscles is not easy but it is made easier by the support of those around us.
If you know someone who is disabled and likes the outdoors, here is a link to ADA hiking trails in our area:
http://www.northcascadehiker.com/ada-hikes-in-the-northern-cascades
