I will never forget the day while, in the examining room of yet another doctor appointment, I read Chuck this quote from Charles Spurgeon,
“By perseverance, the snail reached the ark.”
I asked him what he thought Mr. Spurgeon meant. I will never forget his response as he answered in his slow, southern drawl as he lay on the examining table waiting on yet another doctor:
"No matter how he (snail) is feeling or how slow he's moving, he was constantly moving towards the Ark. Imagine how he must have felt as the antelope ran by....and he was left in the dust.
But he kept on pressing on..... The way we all must do..... No-Matter-What."
See, Chuck saw himself as the snail. I remember leaning down and kissing him at that moment. His words were a reminder to me of all he had been through in the 30 years of living with Multiple Sclerosis. Of the hundreds, if not thousands, of doctor appointments he went to in hopes of finding a cure. The swollen feet, the canes, walkers and eventual wheelchairs that were as much a part of his life as his right arm. Yet I rarely heard this man complain. Rarely. When asked if he ever wondered “Why me?”.....his continual answer was, “Why NOT me?”
Chuck Etheridge lived the very best life he could with what he was given. And he never gave up hope for a cure in his lifetime. He maintained that hope till he breathed his last breath on November 5, 2018.
Unfortunately, a cure was not found during his lifetime, but we have the power to change that for someone else.....someone else who may be your husband, wife, daughter, son or grandchild facing MS one day.
For that reason, we will be riding in the MS Bike “Ride Of A Lifetime” in Chuck’s name under our Group Name, "Press On" this May 15, 2021 for the cure Chuck never gave up on. If you knew him, you’d know he would be so incredibly proud that you helped someone not have to live a life of disability as he once did.
Won’t you help by donating in Chuck Etheridge’s name to the Multiple Sclerosis Ride Of A Lifetime? We are hoping to raise $2,018....an amount to honor the year he won the battle with MS. Your donation is tax-deductible and will help Chuck’s journey with MS not be lived in vain.
We thank you for your love and consideration of being a part of the Cure.
The Story of Chuck
https://youtu.be/KdY2kWQ7q_0
https://mssociety.donordrive.com/participant/Liz-Etheridge
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