Despite the impact of ALS on my body, my top priority was/has always been to be present for my children, grandchildren, and the student-athletes I’ve had the honor to coach for over two decades.
In December 2010, onset for ALS surfaced in my right arm with weakness and fasciculations. While on the gun range for my job with IRS Criminal Investigation, I found myself unable to charge the rifle—something I had done four times a year for over ten years. At that time, I was 42, married to Nina, and had a family: two adult children, Tyler and Asia; a teenage son, Randy III; two younger children, Ryan and Neysa; and a granddaughter, Asia (nicknamed Stretch).
Just a year before my ALS diagnosis, my father, Randolph Gregory Sr., had passed away from colon cancer. I couldn’t fathom that life could become more challenging, but could not have been more wrong. After numerous exams and medical tests, I was told to get my affairs in order and given a prognosis of two to five years to live. In disbelief, I immediately said, “nah, that’s not for me, I have children to finish raising!”
Though Tyler and Asia were adults, I was not ready to give up my playful interactions with them—raiding their refrigerators, enjoying their food, and leaving dirty dishes behind! LOL! More painfully, I struggled with how to explain to my 14-year-old son that I might not be present for his high school graduation. How do you find the words to tell your son that the doctor said that I would not see him graduate high school? You don’t. Conversations about life and death with my younger children, ages 6 and 5, were simply unthinkable. As a father, grandfather, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, and coach/mentor to college student-athletes, preparing for these conversations seemed daunting. With faith in God’s will, I resolved to face this challenge with determination. I held the attitude that God decides life and death, he will handle this.
Despite the impact of ALS on my body, my top priority was/has always been to be present for my children, grandchildren, and the student-athletes I’ve had the honor to coach for over two decades. This commitment required me to adapt to the physical changes I was (going to) experience; I adopted a positive attitude and a “don’t quit” mindset and decided that continuing to exercise to maintain strength and range of motion would allow me to be the same man/father I was known to be. This attitude enabled me to attend Tyler’s naval deployment, surprise Asia at her college lacrosse games, support Randy, Ryan, and Neysa at school functions and extra-curricular activities, teach Randy to drive, retire from IRS Criminal Investigation to coach basketball full-time, and become an athletic administrator at CCBC Catonsville. It has also involved a willingness to accept help from others.
Over time, my physical needs have required the assistance of caregivers and various medical devices. However, my determined mindset has allowed me to appreciate the blessings that come with these aids, such as a foot brace, power wheelchair, cough assist machine, feeding tube, trachea, and a Tobii Dynavox computer with EyeGaze. These devices allowed me to avoid cracking cement with my face, learn how not to choke on food and liquids, maintain my “bringing sexy back” physique, restore my ability to tell people how great the Baltimore Orioles and Ravens are – all things essential for a quality life. While these devices are not ideal, they have enabled me to witness significant life events: Tyler becoming a parent for the second time and an Officer in the Navy, Asia graduating from college, marrying Colby, and advancing in a public accounting firm, Randy graduating from high school and college and becoming an NBA coach, Ryan and Neysa graduating high school and attending the Coast Guard Academy and Temple University respectively, Stretch entering her senior year of high school and getting her learner’s permit, and TJ playing little league baseball. Additionally, I’ve seen former student-athletes become parents, get married, start businesses, and become basketball coaches.
Although I am no longer gainfully employed, advocating for ALS awareness and striving for a cure has become invaluable work. ALS affects everyone it touches, but we can choose whether its impact is positive or negative. Accepting help not only benefits me and my family but also offers a chance for friends and family to contribute in meaningful ways when they don’t know how to be there for a family member/friend.
I cannot explain having to endure the ups and downs and do’s and don’ts of ALS; it is only possible with reliance on God for strength and well-being. Experiencing God’s peace daily assures me that I am not forsaken, and it provides comfort to my children and former student-athletes – letting them know that I am okay and encouraging them to pursue their dreams. I hope that others living with ALS find a way to SHOOT & SLAM DUNK ALS, just as I strive to do every day!