Friends,

My last two weekly e-mails were kind of downers.  Sorry about that!  COVID was settling in a little too close to home.  We had too many people close to us with too many symptoms.  Thankfully, most people I know with it are doing somewhat better now again.

We still have a family that I grew up with as neighbors that has it.  They are more than challenged.  The husband, wife and two kids have it and they just lost the husband’s brother from it.  The same family just lost a daughter to cancer this past year.  It doesn’t sound like the husband is going to make it.  They just took him off a ventilator and they feel he’s brain dead.  The wife and two kids are doing pretty well with their COVID.  They’re out of the hospital now.  Please keep their family in your prayers and do your part to stay safe.

We will not be getting together on Wednesday and Friday again this week.  We need to let the COVID activity settle down a bit.  We’ll be getting back together as soon as I feel we can do it safely.  Hopefully soon!

Do you want some good news?  I have some of that to share this week.  We all know how hard Wendy has been working to get back to walking the past 3-1/2 to 4 years.  It has not been an easy journey for her but she just kept working through or around her challenges.  She hasn’t used her wheelchair for a few months now.  On Saturday, her husband Nino sent me a video of Wendy walking with her son down the isle at his wedding.  I cried.  Tears of joy.  Thanks for sharing Nino!  Way to go Wendy, you looked beautiful!  Congratulations!

Who wants to test an e-wheel chair?  I had the privledge to meet Dave Ziegler this week.  Dave developed a transport wheel chair and is looking for some people to try it out and give him some feedback on it.

Here’s a message from Dave:

New transport chair for disabled people

I am looking for people who are either partially or fully dependent on a transport chair or traditional wheelchair to test a new electric-assist motorized transport chair.  It is designed to be operated by the person pushing the transport chair and not the seated person.  Its electric assist will allow you to go up inclines and over bumps smoothly and easily.  It has front shock absorbers to smooth out the ride and a novel handle grip to make it easier to maneuver.   These features will allow you to even travel smoothly over grass and gravel surfaces so you are not limited to smooth floors only.

I am a local eye doctor who developed an interest in mobility for disabled people when my wife became unable to walk easily.  We have used many versions of transport chairs and found them to be unsatisfactory for many reasons.  I have partnered with the University of Wisconsin to develop this transport chair and am currently doing user testing.  I will come to your home with a protective mask and the transport chair will be disinfected.  I’ll have you use it indoors and outdoors and ask you for your impressions.  It would take about an hour and there is no obligation to buy anything, since it isn’t available on the market.  The only requirement is that you weigh less than 250 pounds.

If this interests you, please email me at daveaziegler@gmail.com or call 414.704.2020.  The testing will be limited to 40 people on a first come basis.

Dave Ziegler

Please contact Dave if you’re willing to try it out and give him some feedback.  It’ll be fun for you and the person pushing it!  Dave has a video of it too but I’m not tech savy enough to link the video in the e-mail.  If you contact Dave, he’ll send you the video.

Bonnie was looking back at MS bike ride videos and ran across this video from the 2011 bike ride.  I’m not sure who put this video together but I’m thankful they did.  This was the year they asked me to say a few words at the celebration in the tent Saturday night.  The song that was used is very fitting for the times we’re going through today.  This was also the year the route went on a road with fresh blacktop filled with ground up glass and there were litterally hundreds of flat tires.  Great memories…lots of energy!  Watch the video by clicking this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sSNfooTTp4

Let’s be thankful for our National MS Society that makes these events possible along with funding such needed research for all of us living with MS.  Thanks also to all who rides with us and makes donations to support us as we ride.  Hopefully we can do this ride together again next year.  For all who can’t ride…we’re riding for you!

It looks like it’s going to be too cold to ride at 7:00am Friday morning so we will not be getting together for our bike ride again this week.  I encourage you to get together yourselves later in the day after it warms up a bit and ride together.  It’s important (critical) we keep moving.  If you’re able to, going on walks or runs is also very good for us with MS this time of the year.  It doesn’t really matter what you do…Just Keep Moving!

Our Zoom prayer group on Wednesday mornings are a great place to get together virtually, catch up a bit and give thanks.  Even though we can’t get together physically, it’s so nice to see all who joins us virtually.  I really like the good things coming out of this group.  It’s awesome seeing so many of you there laughing, listening, sharing, giving thanks and praying!   Even in this pandemic, we have a lot to give thanks for, don’t we?

We’ll be doing it again tomorrow (Wednesday) @ 11:30am.  We’ll get together either via phone or computer (your choice) and share, talk, listen, give thanks, and pray in however God leads us.  It’s a way for all of us to get together virtually to catch up and be there for each other and with each other.  I hope you’ll join us!

Here’s a link to our Zoom Meeting that Ashley provided for us.  Thanks Ashley!  Just click or call @ 11:30am Wednesday and you’ll be connected.  I hope to “see” you there!

You will need a password now because zoom tightened up it’s security.  The password is:  keepmoving

Topic: MS-Just Keep Moving Prayer Group

Time: This is a recurring meeting

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/786859505

Password:  keepmoving

Meeting ID: 786 859 505

One tap mobile

+16465588656,,786859505# US (New York)

+13126266799,,786859505# US (Chicago)

Dial by your location

        +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)

        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

        +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

        +1 253 215 8782 US

        +1 301 715 8592 US

        +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)

Meeting ID: 786 859 505

Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/acej2eGAIM

I hope you’ll join us on Zoom!

My heart goes out to all the people and families of the people that have been affected by COVID-19.  This is really getting serious and close to home.  Whether actually having it, being exposed to it, being affected by businesses being shut down, losing your job, working on the front line, etc.  These are tough times and we really need to take it seriously and do our part of practicing social distancing and all other recommendations.  I hope you and your family are safe.  Let’s keep everyone affected in our prayers and pray we all get through this as safely as we can.

As we all go through this pandemic together, I encourage you to share a smile with someone.  Perhaps you could give someone a call that you haven’t talked with for a while just to see how they’re doing.  This pandemic is tough in many ways.  We all could use a little extra love and encouragement during these times.

Let’s be thankful for all the doctors, nurses and everyone in the health care that are putting themselves at risk every day and every night as they serve those with the Coronavirus.  These are amazing, selfless, courageous people!  Let’s also give thanks to all the people in the world that are working diligently to develop testing equipment and ways to treat this Coronavirus.  Let’s also give thanks for all the people that are working diligently to produce protective gear, respirators, and any other medical equipment to help us get through this pandemic.

We may be inconvenienced in many ways but others have it much worse.  Let’s be thankful we have each other.  I know I’m thankful for you!

Let’s stay calm, focused, healthy, flexible, have faith and learn as much as we can about the challenges of each day and make good choices.

See you soon!

Dan