Folks in one local community will see some colorful characters in funny headgear take to the streets on Sunday, April 24. That’s when team Scherden will make its annual appearance at the MS walk in Hollidaysburg.
The Altoona family will walk in memory of one member who lost his life to the devastating disease, and to support another who’s successfully fighting it.
Doctors diagnosed Jim Scherden with multiple sclerosis in the 1960’s, when he was in his late 30s or early 40’s.
His wife Gail says, “of course, there was nothing he could take to help at the time, it was hard to see him like that.”
At first, while Jim stumbled and had trouble walking, he could still get around. His son Jeff says “I’m glad I was able to take him to a couple of Curve games and a couple of Penn State games that we enjoyed and that, but later on, it sort of got harder to take him, because he was very uncomfortable in the wheel chair.”
When Jim eventually became bedfast, Gail cared for him at home, for 15 years, until he died at the age of 69.
“It was a tough time, ” she remembers, “but my husband he smiled. He was always good natured, so that made it easier.”
Since Jim was unable to attend , when his son married Cathy, the two visited him at his bedside.
She knew what to expect because, even before the couple had met, Jeff had been diagnosed with MS.
“He was afraid I’d just say, ‘see you later, pal,’ and not want to date him anymore, and that wasn’t the case,” Cathy remembers. “He said, ‘aren’t you going to get up and leave me?’ “I said no. I said I’m a diabetics are you going to leave me?”
Fortunately by the time of Jeff’s diagnosis research had resulted in the first effective treatments for MS and they’ve kept Jeff pretty healthy since 1999.
In contrast to his father, who had chronic progressive MS, Jeff was diagnosed with the relapsing, remitting form of the disease, which is easier to treat and is usually less severe.
Jeff says, “I always keep in my mind or think sometimes that i don’t even have it. Most people that would look at me wouldn’t think I have MS.
But the Scherdens don’t try to deny the fact that MS will always be a part of this family’s life, and they enthusiastically support efforts to someday overcome it..
Cathy kind of sums it up for the whole family, saying, “I’m just so happy I’m part of the team and we’re able to raise some funds for MS and I just hope there’s better treatment for my husband and everybody out there.”
You can look for Team Scherden on Sunday, April 24 in Hollidaysburg. They’ll be the ones with the colorful head boppers and leis.