In 2005, I wrote about then-sophomore Ally Petrilli, who had been selected by classmates at Charlotte Catholic High School as a Homecoming Court representative.
Although I thought back then that the reason for her selection was she was gorgeous, Ally wasn't chosen because of her beauty. She was chosen because she was such a good person and nice to everyone at her school.
Now it's 2008, and Ally is still a gorgeous, good person who is nice to everyone at her school. She'll soon graduate from Charlotte Catholic, move from her family and home in Cornelius and be a freshman at UNC Chapel Hill.
Her college plans are to "do something in the medical field, like my Dad," Ally said. I thought that moving away would be the biggest change in Ally's life. But since 2005, her life has changed drastically.
At the beginning of her 10th-grade year, Ally's dad, Dr. Robert Petrilli, started "showing symptoms of slurred speech. We went to the Mayo Clinic in Jackson, Fla.," Ally said, and her dad was "formally diagnosed with ALS a year ago in March, but we knew before that. The progression of the disease has been pretty rapid."
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is also called Lou Gehrig's disease. It's a progressive disease that causes deterioration of the nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement.
People who have this disease may lose control of the movement of their voluntary muscles but usually keep their intellect. The people most often diagnosed are those between ages 40 and 60. ALS is one of the most common neuromuscular diseases worldwide, affecting people of all races and ethnic backgrounds.
Ally shared stories about her dad before his diagnosis. "He had a really witty, funny personality and always knew how to make everyone laugh. He was really dedicated to his job (as an emergency room physician) and his family.
"Dad used to come home from work, blasting Elton John music in the car in the driveway, to annoy my mom. Or he would tell about really disgusting emergency room cases while we were eating dinner."
Since her dad's diagnosis, Ally said, "I felt like I really wanted to do something." So Ally has been working to raise money for ALS.
Ally's first fundraising idea was to hold a dance at her school. "I love dancing, so I thought a dance would be a really good idea." She and her friends and the administration at Charlotte Catholic all worked together to make this event a success.
"We had to organize the dance," Ally said. "We had to get it approved, make all of the banners to advertise the dance, and get someone to DJ." Seniors Anthony Goco and Chris Pirko helped out with that job.
"We had to get chaperones, and the day of the dance, we had to decorate," she said. All the hard work paid off, because Ally now has more than $2,000 for ALS.
Ally has already decided where the money is going. "We're giving part of it to the ALS Association and part to the Joe Martin ALS Foundation. This foundation helps families in the Charlotte area. All their services are free to the family. They help my dad out one day a week and are making sure Dad is coming to my graduation."
The Joe Martin ALS Foundation is named after the Charlotte banking executive and author who lived with ALS for 12 years. For more information on Martin, go to www.joemartinalsfoundation.org.
Ally's next big fundraiser is selling ALS wristbands. Students and parents who buy the wristbands get extra bonuses for their donations. For the students, because they wear uniforms to school, they get a day to come to school not in uniform.
For parents and students, buying a wristband also gets them admission to a luncheon where recently retired Carolina Panthers defensive end Mike Rucker will speak. Ally explained that Rucker's "grandma raised him, and she has ALS."
Check out Rucker's Web site, www.pinstripesals.com, for information about the golf tournament to benefit Carolinas Neuromuscular/ALS Center at Carolinas Medical Center.
Also, check out the N.C. ALS chapter at www.catfishchapter.org. Here, you'll find info on ALS, donating to the cause, and the new ALS license plate.
To donate to ALS in the name of Dr. Robert Petrilli, go to www.catfishchapter.org, scroll down to Upcoming Events and click on Charlotte Walk, then click on Donate: To a Team, click on Search for a team and enter "Bob's Brigade."
Lisa
Daidone
