Today is day nine of ALS Awareness Month, and we are celebrating the 18th Annual Edmonton WALK for ALS. Today we will honour and celebrate the life of our Edmonton WALK for ALS Ambassador, Adam Rombough and his incredible contribution to the ALS cause. Again, Adam's "A-Bomb" team broke fundraising records and inspired the community to come together to channel hope for a future without this disease.
"My name is Adam Rombough and I am honoured to be the 2018 Edmonton WALK for ALS Ambassador. I have always approached life with passion and determination no matter what challenges I am faced with. In October of 2016 I was out for lunch with a client who asked me how long I have been waiting and how many drinks I had already had, because my speech was slurred. The answer was zero; this was one of the many symptoms that I had been experiencing. When I asked my family doctor he did not seem concerned, he brushed me off. After months of pursuing answers from other doctors, in February of 2017 at 32 years old I was diagnosed with ALS, a disease that is always fatal and has no cure. Because of these facts I chose to accept my diagnosis, rather than sitting around feeling sorry for myself. I embraced opportunities that were being presented to me. Within one week I had retired from my career, and then I started living my life the way I wanted to. I began by traveling and started working on a documentary about my life with ALS. I also spend a lot of time developing the relationships that I value the most, because I have realized that that is the most important thing in my life.
Even though I choose to look at the positive things in my life everyday there are countless obstacles that I must face: relocating, renovating a house to fit all of the needs of being in a wheelchair, scheduling endless medical appointments, and purchasing and finding the right equipment to best suit my ever-changing needs. All while losing my ability to speak and take care of myself. It has been overwhelming to say the least. Throughout my journey I have realized we are not lacking loving and caring professionals who are willing to do what it takes to make my life easier and more comfortable. What we are lacking is funding and research which is why I am humbly asking you to get on board with supporting the ALS Society of Alberta.
The work that they do and the research that they fund has allowed me to focus on living my life to the fullest. I like to believe that I am not slowly dying, but I am quickly living".