A Brother’s Legacy
By Holly Kerr, ALS Association
Alma Sanchez, an (almost) Denver native, participates in a fundraiser whose cause she is personally passionate about. The ALS Association’s Walk to Defeat ALS, scheduled for Saturday, October 5th at City Park, is a fundraiser that allows the Association to make a difference in the lives of those that have Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Alma’s older brother, Oscar, who was a Park Hill resident, passed away from ALS in the spring of 2011 at the age of thirty-six.
“Oscar made a big impact. He was somebody you would not forget,” Alma said.
Oscar and Alma were born in Guadalajara, Mexico, where they spent their early childhood. They moved to Denver with their family when Oscar was five years old and Alma was three.
To say that Oscar was gifted is an understatement. From grade school all the way up through high school, Oscar excelled as a student in all areas: academically, artistically, and physically. After graduating high school with honors, Oscar got a full scholarship to Yale where he received a BA and MA in Architecture. After college he worked for a number of years in New York. He eventually moved back to Denver to be close to his family. Golden High School was Oscar’s first and only solo project, where he oversaw all the design of the grounds and building from start to finish as the principal Architect on that project.
Oscar was only in his early thirties when he had a few incidents of choking on food. It scared the family, but Oscar, who “was on a lifelong quest to find the perfect meal,” laughed it off. He also began feeling especially tired, but attributed it to work and stress. When he started to notice his voice change, including slurring of his speech, Oscar finally went to get medical help. The doctor who saw him thought something was wrong with a gland in his throat and scheduled Oscar for surgery. But the surgery did not make Oscar better. It ended up making his condition worse in fact. He was diagnosed with ALS in August 2008.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually attacks both upper and lower motor neurons and causes degeneration throughout the brain and spinal cord. There is no known cause or cure today. A common first symptom is a painless weakness in a hand, foot, arm or leg, which occurs in more than half of all cases. Other early symptoms include speech, swallowing or walking difficulty. As nerves to the muscles die, a progressive paralysis spreads throughout the body. Muscles that control breathing eventually become affected as well. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is fatal.
In the beginning, Oscar had a profound optimism that with a little luck, he would beat the disease. As things progressed, though, Oscar became confined to a wheelchair and eventually got a feeding tube. Oscar told his family he didn’t ever want to get a ventilator. His life, although short, had been very full and this gave him acceptance of what was to come. Oscar had loved to travel and had visited almost every continent. He often made jokes about his tattered passport. After catching a cold he wasn’t able to overcome, Oscar passed away two years ago.
Although he is gone, Oscar has a legacy that lives on. While Oscar was still alive, some of his colleagues set up a scholarship in his name. This display of friendship and love had moved Oscar to tears at the time, who cried about it for days. Oscar was able to see that scholarship through to its first execution and he had the honor of choosing the very first recipient. The Oscar R. Sanchez Scholarship is granted to underserved students in the local metropolitan community of Denver to open the opportunity to learn about architecture and culture through travel and by directly introducing the recipient to the architectural profession.
Alma, who is the Team Captain of O’s Beams, will be walking to remember her big brother and support the work of The ALS Association. During his journey with ALS, Oscar received much support from the Association. He attended their monthly Support Groups and the Annual Symposium. He also was able to get medical equipment through their Loan Closet program.
Alma walks the 3K route with her entire extended family, all who live in the greater Denver area. They are a significant presence at the Walk to Defeat ALS and have been for the past four years. The O’s Beams, along with hundreds of others, participate in the event to create awareness of the disease, to support the mission of The ALS Association, and in hopes of someday finding a cure for those with ALS. Alma says she and her family will participate in the Walk to Defeat ALS indefinitely.
You can support Alma and The ALS Association by visiting WalktoDefeatALS.org and choosing O’s Beams at the Denver, Colorado Walk or by calling 303-832-2322.