My name is Darryl Johnson and I was first introduced to the ALS Society of Alberta in May 2022.

I had been on a medical mystery tour across the previous 2 years, having over a dozen tests and assessments by over two dozen doctors, all trying to determine what was wrong with my body. ALS is very challenging for doctors to identify, and it wasn't until April 2022 that I received my diagnosis. In an instant, the twilight years of my retirement changed. I was transferred to the Calgary ALS Clinic, where I learned about the support provided by the ALS Society.

One of the earliest indications of things changing for me was in the fall of 2018 at a 10 Pin bowling team-building event with my work colleagues. I had always bowled using a 14 lb ball, but this time I noticed my legs were wobbly when I rolled the ball. I thought I was just out of shape. In 2019, my left leg buckled a couple of times. Once while traversing down a stairway, and another time when I dismounted from my mountain bike. I was still working at this point, although managing project workloads was becoming too much to keep up with, and I decided to retire at the end of 2019. In 2020, my gait when walking became abnormal so I began a quest with my GP to find some answers.

It has long been my philosophy in life to learn to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself in. Undeniably, ALS has its challenges, but who doesn't have challenges in their life? A wise man once said life is like the shadow of a flying bird, always changing, but we press on. My wife and kids are a huge help to me, and the community created by the ALS Society of Alberta is always encouraging and supportive. They have taught me so much.

When I began to lose my ability to walk very far, the ALS Society loaned me a power wheelchair to use, so that I can get out into the community. They also provided a portable ramp that I can drive on from street level up into the front entrance of our home, and a powered lift that carries me and the power chair from the front entrance up to the main living level of our house. The supports from the ALS Society have helped me stay connected with others and feel like I can still contribute. Without question, the ALS Society of Alberta is "making it possible" for me and hundreds of other Albertans living with ALS.

Darryl Johnson