NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | May 1 , 2015 | PAGE 5
‘Fighting Machinist’ Sam Beekman
is in the battle of his life against ALS
By Michael Gutwig
Editor & Manager
Sam Beekman has run in five
marathons, competed in the
Hood to Coast Relay numer-
ous times, carded a hole-in-
one, bagged elk, and caught
hundreds of fish.
Today, the 31-year member
of the ‘Fighting Machinists’
Willamette Lodge 63 needs a
walker to get around his These are some of the medals Sam
Fairview home, and a wheel- Beekman received running mara-
chair whenever he ventures thons and working at Boeing.
outside. He cannot hold onto a
pen to write.
Beekman, 63, has amy-
otrophic lateral sclerosis, more
commonly known as Lou
Gehrig’s disease, or ALS.
There is no known cause of
the disease, which slowly robs
the body of its ability to walk,
speak, swallow and breathe,
yet the mind remains fully
functional. It’s not contagious,
and can strike anyone at any
time. It occurs throughout the
world with no racial, ethnic, or
socioeconomic boundaries.
ALS is usually fatal within took advantage of his good
two to five years of diagnosis. union pension and retired.
Throughout his career, Beek-
There is no known cure.
man
was active in the union. He
“This certainly wasn’t in the
also
was
active outside of work.
plan,” said Beekman.
He
took
up
jogging in 1971, the
Beekman put in 31 years ma-
day
he
quit
smoking. That mor-
chining airplane parts for Boe-
phed
into
marathons
and long
ing Company in Gresham. He
distance
relays.
He
put
together
retired in August 2008 at age 58.
a
union
team—The
Running
He says he would have worked
longer, but lung cancer cut his Machinists—for the popular
career short. After doctors re- Hood to Coast Relay, a grueling
moved a portion of his upper 193-mile trek from Timberline
lung, Beekman returned to Lodge on Mt. Hood to Seaside
work. But he quickly realized on the Oregon Coast. The Labor
that he had lost his edge, so he Press featured The Running Ma-
chinists in a story in 1996.
• One-on-one consultations with on-
staff care services coordinators to assess
the needs of those living with ALS, sug-
gest equipment and help families plan for
the future.
• A Medical Equipment Loan Program
that provides mobility equipment when
insurance and other programs cannot
fund needed items.
• A comprehensive Alternative Com-
munication and Assistive Technology
Program.
• Caregiver support groups, Care Con-
nections guidance, in-home caregiving
support and respite care grants to relieve
stress and “caregiver burnout.”
He and wife Pam have been
married for 31 years. They
have
two adult children and five
grandchildren.
Beekman’s first symptoms
of ALS surfaced in October
2009 while on an elk hunting
trip in Colorado. He stumbled
several times on the walking
trail, then had difficulty mount-
ing a horse.
“I thought it was odd,” he re-
calls.
Later, his son noticed irregu-
larities in his father’s speech and
coordination. A trip to the doctor
was followed by months of
tests.
“They knew there was a neu-
rological issue going on,” Beek-
man said. “But my symptoms
filled a lot of possibilities.”
Eventually, the diagnosis was
confirmed as ALS.
Beekman is now among an
estimated 450 to 500 ALS pa-
tients in Oregon—30,000 na-
tionwide, said Lance Christian,
executive director of the ALS
Association’s Oregon and
Southwest Washington Chapter.
The ALS Association assists
those with the disorder (see box
below), as Medical treatment
and care can be staggering—
easily exceeding $60,000 a year.
“It’s not a cheap disease to
have,” Beekman said.
True to his union spirit, Beek-
man continues to fight for a
cause.
He’s helping to raise money
for the Oregon and SW Wash-
ington chapter of the ALS Asso-
ciation—and to draw public
Where does all the
money raised go?
The ALS Association chapter serves the
entire state of Oregon and the six
counties in Southwest Washington.
Here is a sampling of local services pro-
vided free of charge to people and
families living with ALS
• Monthly support groups for people
with ALS, family members, and friends.
• Support and resources for children
who have ALS in their families.
Sam Beekman at home with his dog Lucy.
awareness to the disease.
Beekman will participate in a
three-mile SW Washington
Walk to Defeat ALS scheduled
for Saturday, Oct. 3, at Esther
Short Park in Vancouver, Wash.
[A Portland Walk to Defeat
ALS is slated for Sunday, Sept.
27, starting at the World Trade
Center downtown.]
He’s also putting together an
ALS team for the Hood to Coast
Relay in September. The “Run-
ning Machines” will traverse the
route on scooters, wheelchairs,
and bikes.
“You just can’t sit around and
say ‘woe is me,’ ” he said.
Beekman is seeking sponsor-
• Bereavement support for family
members and friends who have lost
someone to ALS.
• Partnerships in ALS multidisciplinary
clinics staffed by professionals with ALS
expertise.
• Outreach to the local medical com-
munity with updates on current ALS
needs and solutions.
• Support for local and national public
policy efforts, as well as internationally-
driven research focused on finding a
treatment and ultimately, a cure for ALS.
ships from union locals, union
members, vendors, and others.
He’s off to a good start, with a
$1,063 commitment from Ma-
chinists Lodge 63.
He hopes, too, that more peo-
ple will participate in one of the
walks.
Beekman acknowledges that
ALS has taken a lot from him in
a short period. But at the same
time, he says he feels “fortu-
nate” and “grateful” for the
things he can still do. For in-
stance, last summer he went to
Dodger Stadium to watch a Ma-
jor League Baseball game. That
was followed by stops at Dis-
neyland, SeaWorld, and Univer-
sal Studios. This year, Hawaii is
on the agenda.
Pointing to one of his favorite
movies of all time—The Pride of
the Yankees—the story of Lou
Gehrig, Beekman says Gehrig’s
farewell speech at Yankee Sta-
dium has stuck with him over the
years.
“I have really embraced his re-
marks,” he said.
Gehrig’s quote:
“Today, I consider myself the
luckiest man on the face of the
Earth. I might have been given a
bad break, but I’ve got an awful
lot to live for.”
To make a donation on be-
half of Sam Beekman’s Walk
to Defeat ALS, go to:
webor.alsa.org/goto/Sam_Beek
man
