By Dedrick Harris
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Growing up with his sister and mother in the 1970s and 80s, Lamont “Poo” Gregory was an active boy who quickly became the man of the house. When he wasn’t playing football, the young child mowed the lawn, did errands for neighbors and shoveled snow to help his mother out.
Gregory, who grew up in Turner Station, a neighborhood in Dundalk, played running back for the community football team, the Turner Station Vikings. He continued to help the Turner Station community after football, volunteering to help kids in local recreations.
“He was a funny, intelligent and athletic child,” said Delores Gregory, Lamont’s mother.
His sister, Sherrita Gregory, added: “He loved football. Football was one of the best ways for him to relieve his stress and have fun.”
Lamont was eventually employed for a construction company located in Middle River. Lamont was working in construction in 2015 when he started to develop back problems. Thinking it was nothing major, Lamont continued to work for months until one morning he couldn’t stand up straight.
“I didn’t know what happened. I figure he pulled a muscle and needed to rest,” Delores Gregory said.
Delores rush her son to the hospital. While in the waiting room, doctors ran tests on Lamont and discovered something that would change his life forever.
Lamont, 48, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a rare nervous system disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function. There are fewer than 20,000 cases per year, according to the Mayo Clinic. Since there is no cure, the only options for treatment are therapy and supportive care.
“When I found out that my son had ALS, I was confused and [questioned] why? I blamed God for everything, and was mad to see the condition that my son was living in,” Delores Gregory said.
Four years after being diagnosed, Lamont is unable to stand, walk or talk. The disease has weakened his muscles throughout his body.
Despite the obstacles Lamont faces, he still continues to keep a smile on his face.
“Living with the disease has not stopped him from living his life, and he always keeps a smile on his face,” Delores Gregory said. “Lamont was always happy. From a child up until now he always kept a smile on his face. My son is a fighter, and he won’t let nothing stop him. Not even ALS.”
To help in that fight, Lamont’s niece, Destiny Glenn, 22, started an organization in 2015 called Blue4Poo to raise money for the ALS Association.
Blue4Poo goals are to find a cure and raise awareness for the cause. The organization hosts dinner events, baked good sales, and the well-known ice bucket challenge.
“I feel good about our group,” said Glenn, who acts as the organization’s president. “Blue4Poo has raised a lot of money and I love the fact that we are family and can come together for a cause that can help in the long run.”
The group’s goal is to raise money so doctors can one day find a cure. It has raised up to $10,000 so far for the cause.
“We have one plan, and that plan is to defeat ALS,” Glenn said. “By us reaching over $10,000 is a blessing because that shows that have a lot of support from the Turner’s Station community, and others counties in the state of Maryland.”
“I have a lot in store for 2020 and many more years,” Glenn said.
Glenn’s goal is to host an upcoming fundraiser in November. The fundraiser will be based on a well-known trend known as the ice bucket challenge. Because of the current pandemic, this challenge will be posted on social media for support. The ice bucket challenge is when people dump buckets of ice on their head to raise money towards ALS charities.
The ALS Association raised over $50 million, and it continues grow as of today. Pete Frates, creator of the ice bucket challenge, was a former Boston College baseball player. Frates was diagnosed with ALS in 2011. On July 31, 2011 Frates challenged many friends and celebrities to take the ice bucket challenge to defeat ALS.
“My goal is to bring back this popular trend and relaunch it on social media,” Glenn said. “By so much happening in this pandemic, it will be safer to still contribute and have an online virtual ice bucket challenge in support of my uncle.”
With so many people living with the disease, Blue4Poo hopes it can be one of the organizations to help contribute to the cause.
“I’m 77 and I just want to see a change for the better,” Delores Gregory said. “I believe before 2021, if I’m still alive, we will be closer than before towards finding a cure.”
As Lamont was sitting there in the living room, he looked up and smiled.
“I’m very grateful for my family and supporters,” he said through a computer machine. “As I continue to fight, I will not give up and I thank God every day for waking me up and giving a second chance at life.”
He uses a brain-computerinterface machine that helps people with ALS communicate with other people.
“Although I have a rare condition, I hope that one day people with ALS won’t have to worry about the suffering because there will be cure,” Lamont Gregory said.
“We are more than a group, we are family,” Sherrita Gregory said. “We love everyone, and supports every family around the world who love one has been diagnose with ALS also.”
1 Comment
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