Tony Proudfoot passes away - December 30, 2010
John A. "Tony" Proudfoot (1949 – 2010) was an All-Star defensive back in the Canadian Football League, teacher, coach, broadcaster and journalist. He was a Grey Cup champion twice as a player, and twice as special consultant to Montreal Alouettes Head Coach Marc Trestman in 2009 and 2010.
In 2007 Proudfoot was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a terminal illness. He wrote regular updates on his deterioration in the Montreal Gazette. He set up the "Tony Proudfoot Fund for ALS research" at the ALS Society of Quebec, which has raised $500,000 for research into the disease. The courage, grace and determination during his illness was widely admired. Proudfoot died in Montreal on December 30, 2010 at the age of 61.
Below is a link to the Montreal Gazette, from which you can link to all of Tony's stories. As well below, there is a PDF of a recent letter to the editor in the Moncton Times & Transcript from the ALS Society of New Brunswick, thanking Tony and his family for sharing their story with all Canadians.
www.montrealgazette.comLetter to the Editor - ALS Society of NB
A
Victory
for
Veterans
with
ALS
(November 2010)
The
Honourable
Jean‐Pierre
Blackburn,
Minister
of
Veterans
Affairs
Canada,
announced
on
Friday
October
15,
2010,
that
veterans
with
ALS
will
now
be
eligible
for
increased
benefits.
Minister
Blackburn
made
the
announcement
at
a
press
conference,
where
he
was
joined
by
Pierre
Poilievre,
Member
of
Parliament
for
Nepean‐Carleton,
David
Cameron,
President
and
CEO
of
the
ALS
Society
of
Canada,
and
veteran
Mike
Watson,
who
has
led
a
courageous,
six‐year
battle
against
ALS.
Read more...
Did Lou Gehrig have Lou Gehrig's Disease?
On August 17, 2010 both the New York Times and the Toronto Star featured an article suggesting that Lou Gehrig may not have had Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). The article were written in response to a study published in the online Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology which suggested that the clustering of TDP-43, that has been identified to be involved in ALS and frontotemporal lobar degeneration, is involved in the head injury as well.
Attached is an article written by ALS Canada’s science writer Katie Moisse, PhD, reviewing the study. Please take some time to review the article.
SUPPORT FOR CHAMPIONS
The devastations of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s Disease on the family unit are well documented, as no member is immune to the perils of such a devastating illness.
Gilles LeBlanc was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 36. At the time, his sons were seven and four years of age. Gilles’ foremost wish was for both of them to enjoy a non-interrupted journey through childhood, despite his devastating illness. With the aid of his many friends and a wonderful family, his children participate in numerous sports and cultural activities while growing-up.
“The emotional scars of a sick parent are enough to bear, without having them sacrifice their very own childhood” says Gilles. As a result, he created a special fund in conjunction with the ALS Society of New Brunswick to give a helping hand to every child of families touched by this terrible illness. His family and friends vow to build upon his dream of seeing every child of ALS sufferers in Canada, flourish through childhood.
Suppport for Champions is there to help with Bursaries and After-school Activities. Check out the link on the right for more information about the program, or download an
application form now.
