Jerry Lewis I will Miss You!

Some love him, some love to hate him but the man changed my life and for me, he will be missed. I always sit and think would I be who I am if it was not for Jerry Lewis and his Labor Day Telethon to raise money with one goal to find a cure for over 40 neuromuscular diseases. If it was not for the telethon that my dad so carefully put together locally every year would I still have done something so important in my life as MDA Camp? My heart my soul my life and the way I live it every day stems from what this man has done for the world.  Jerry Lewis opened the doors to a world that I can not imagine not being a part of.

For many Lewis will be remembered for his film and comedian career for me he gave my life a path that after 40 plus years I still follow to this day.

Every labor day even when our local telethon was already in full swing I would still find a TV set tuned into the main feed just to hear his opening monolog listing for the words "We found a cure" and every year even tho those words were never spoken he would tell us hopeful we are getting close.

Before you think no good has come out of this at one time there were well over 40 types and then they adopted if you will a few more as the years went on. Today we only have 30! And only 9 of those are big ones like ALS, SMA, and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. With SMA having a new trial under way they feel strongly about a cure they also may have found a way to reverse the effects with some patients that suffer with it today.

Jerry said once and it has stuck with me forever "We will find a cure in my life time" Sadly Jerry will not see this day but every year we get so much closer and the man that has given many of us hope is no longer with us. From this fan, he will be missed and he will "Never Walk Alone." And I will never stop the fight as we inch closer to the day we never have to worry about MDA every again.

Thank You, Jerry, for shaping my life to what it is today.

Bob