Road Tripping With ALS

The Roadie Life!

Roadie – An individual who is responsible for setting up, tearing down, and generally maintaining the equipment for a band.

Allow me to introduce you to our Roadie/Companion/Road cALS: Melinda (Mendy) Heggie Gomez. Mendy hails from Tucson AZ and is a diehard University of Arizona fan, along with her entire family. Mendy is a special education teacher and mentor. We met through ALS, her husband Tony was diagnosed while in San Antonio. Meg and Mendy connected on an ALS support group and have become very close. Sadly Tony passed away in July, we attended his funeral and returned for their beautiful daughter’s wedding in September, a week ago.

Meg had suggested perhaps joining us on our trip. She said, “I’ll think about it”. As the day approached they discussed details and Mendy decided to join us and hop off in Boston to visit close friends. Mendy describes the trip as a healing journey, I agree. Is it hard meeting others impacted by ALS? Yes, undoubtedly, however the interactions are life affirming. Evident by the huge grins and big hugs after. Mendy stated, wiping away tears, “it felt good to share my experience and potentially help another”, as I said life affirming!

Thank you Mendy for sharing your heart with us and others as we are on the ALS super highway. You and Tony are touching people’s lives at every stop. But more importantly, you are helping Meg as a fellow Death On Wheels Road Warrior. Yet more importanter than that, you are able to feed me snacks as we are hurling down the road. Like my own human Obi!
*Disclaimer – I am not an Obi representative but I know one -😉.

J Reyes