Montgomery man, family face ALS; Run with Ronnie on Sept. 24
Relatives and friends of Ronnie Shaw are organizing a Fun Run to help pay for expenses Shaw and his family face as the longtime insurance agent tackles ALS.
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. There is yet no cure for ALS, the ALS Association says. (als.org/understanding-als)
The Run With Ronnie Fun Run will be held on Sept. 24. There will be a 3-mile and a 1-mile fun run. Packet pickup will start at 6:30 a.m., with races starting at 7:30 a.m. To register, visit runsignup.com/Race/AL/Montgomery/RunwithRonnie.
The event will be held on the grounds of Saint James Church, located at the intersection of Vaughn and Ryan roads, said race organizer Mark Shaw, Ronnie Shaw’s cousin. He said the team putting on the race is motivated by Ronnie Shaw’s impact on their lives, his love for Christ and others, and his fondness for running.
“When I heard that Ronnie had been diagnosed with ALS I was devastated. Ronnie is a first cousin but truly more like a brother,” Mark Shaw said. “We literally grew up together. I just had this strong sense of needing to do something that would hopefully help Ronnie in this battle. Ronnie has been an avid runner for years. Understanding that at some point his ability to run may be affected, I decided personally that I was going to get off the couch and run with him in his daily runs as often as possible. I also thought having a Fun Run would be a good way to let friends and family express their support and love for Ronnie.”
The goal of the Fun Run is to provide encouragement to the Ronnie Shaw family while also raising funds to help offset some of the expenses of treating ALS. “Our fundraising goal is $100,000. Also, we hope that we will be able to help raise awareness of this disease because it is not nearly as common as other diseases such as cancer, dementia, etc.,” Mark Shaw said. “Our overall desire is that God be glorified through our efforts.”
The ALS Association explains how the disease impacts the body. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to muscles. They govern voluntary movements and muscle control.
ALS causes the motor neurons to degenerate until they eventually die. When the motor neurons die, the brain can no longer control muscle movement. When muscle action is progressively affected, people may lose the ability to speak, eat, move, and breathe, according to the Association.
Ronnie Shaw, a member of First Baptist Church in Montgomery, says he is experiencing some of those symptoms since being diagnosed with ALS this April. He is quick to say he has relied on God and His word as the illness progresses.
“My hope is that God is glorified by this. Some days are really hard. We all want prayers answered the way we want but sometimes when we don’t see the result we want, we get angry,” he said. “1 Peter 5:7 says, ‘Cast all your cares on Him for he cares for you.’ ALS is the most absurd disease there is. It has no rhyme or reason. I was coasting through life, health wise, until this time last year. I have no idea what the future holds for me. But then again, I never did and neither does anyone else. I shall do my best to live one day at a time and enjoy today.”
Mark Shaw said the response to the Run from the community has been good, but that fact is not surprising. “I am always amazed at how willing people are to support the needs of others when they are made aware of them,” Mark Shaw said, adding that the Fun Run does need additional volunteers.
Ronnie Shaw, a father of two and grandfather, said he is humbled by the Fun Run and grateful for those who are making the event a reality.
“These guys are the best group of friends a person could have. It is still surreal at this point. A special thanks to my cousin, Mark Shaw. He is the driving force behind all of this,” he said.
Ronnie Shaw is still running 14 miles a week. ALS has mainly affected his mouth, jaw, and tongue.
“I can’t talk very well, and eating has become a challenge,” he said. “So far, I am still able to walk/run and use my arms and legs normally. But it has altered the course of my life as talking and interacting with people is what I do best and that has pretty much been taken away as well as being able to sing. I used to do that, too.”
Ronnie Shaw, an Elmore County native, said the increasing difficulty of living with ALS has worked to draw him closer to Christ.
“Even amid all of the frustrations of trying to deal with a body that is not working properly, I know Jesus is with me,” he said. “None of us get to choose what ailments we end up with. I cling to the hope that one day there might be a cure, even if it doesn’t help me, hopefully one day it can help someone. Jesus is my strength, and He sends me angels all the time in the form of friends and family who reach out to me.”
Ronnie Shaw plans to take part in the Fun Run even though ALS is impacting his daily life. He looks forward to being around many of those he has developed relationships with through the decades.
“I love each and every one of you. Even if it didn’t raise a dime, just the number of folks who have been thinking about me and praying for me means everything to me. I am a blessed man,” he said. “God has allowed me to make a lot of friends over the course of my life. Sometimes you don’t realize it until this happens to you. I am so grateful for this. My family has also been so loving and caring during this and each day. They know I will continue to fight as hard as I can to hang around just to spend more time with them.”
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Montgomery man, family face ALS; Run with Ronnie on Sept. 24
