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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 25, 2015)
Commentary Page 11 S^^^daf^g tube surgically put into her stomach so she could safely eat. F “Thwe hours of exhausting choking a day. Every day tfs this now. Tm not sure how much longer J can do this, said Sherrie, below, in February. B I . Her mouth and throat muscles were the first and tn • n air moving, though she was still able to walk arLd witho^a^^^ SHERRIE, from page 10 and Eastern medicine for our illnesses - from the connective tissue gene that causes EDS which complicates organ function, blood pressure and dislocations, to her ALS which is complicated but ultimately causes the progressive degeneration of the motor neurons. When the neurons die, the brain cannot initiate and control muscle movement This eventually leads to the body dying. I would describe Sherrie as a loving, lovely, wise, rainbow spirit She loved rainbows and believed that every color of light would be visible to her when she crossed over. She was sensitive and deep with a gentle gaze. She was so effective when she spoke that the first thing I noticed was the strength and compassion she possessed. She was an incredible mother and her son was so well Ff PHOTO by llewellyn gannon cared for. He is truly the gentlest kindest boy I have ever met She knew since 1994 that she had the SOD1 gene mutation that can lead to ALS. She had witnessed two of her aunts pass away from this disease. It was in late April, 2014 that Dr. Kimberiy Goslin, a neurologist with Providence did a conductivity test The results indicated that ALS was very likely. She had previously participated in a couple research studies for familial ALS (fALS), with Michael Benetar, PhD. He was conducting a new study for a drug to slow the onset of fALS. With her diagnosis of the ALS onset, she was invited to participate in this study. I remember her talking about the experience and how disregarded she felt as a human. Then, after painful testing, she was told that she did not See SHERRIE, page 12 On April 4, Sherrie’s husband Eric gave her the first dose of the two- part medication through her feeding tube. Forty-five minutes later she would take the final dose to end her life. _ ., , , , , > , » . , PHOTO BY LLEWELLYN GANNON Because of her lax ligaments and lack of muscle control, her shoulders were constantly dislocating.
