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Hal Finney who was recently diagnosed with ALS will compete in this Sunday's Santa Barbara International Marathon to raise awareness for the disease and money for research. Finney is pictured with his wife Fran outside the courthouse yesterday. Photo by Victor Maccharoli

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Local couple races against ALS

By ERIC LINDBERG — Dec. 2, 2009

Although never a competitive runner, local resident Hal Finney decided three years ago to get serious about his hobby.

He joined a local running team, lost weight and upped his mileage from a four-mile jaunt with the family dogs to a serious training regimen.

After a successful half marathon a year later, he set his sights on competing in the Boston Marathon in 2010 and planned to qualify during the Los Angeles Marathon earlier this year.

But despite a methodical work ethic and careful dieting, things started falling apart. He began racking up injuries and felt increasingly fatigued, forcing him to back down on his training.

In March, his wife, Fran, noticed his voice sounded a bit slurred. The couple could tell something was wrong.

A doctor ordered a series of tests to rule out the most common causes of slurred speech — stroke, a brain tumor and multiple sclerosis. The Finneys were very relieved when those tests all came back negative.

“We weren’t very worried,” Fran said. “We figured the big three had been ruled out.”

After being referred to a neurologist, Hal went through another series of neurological testing at UCLA as he continued to train for the Los Angeles race.

When he hit the pavement in May, he hit a wall and couldn’t finish. After 12 miles, he dropped out with major cramping. But he knew he had a fallback race in December — the Santa Barbara International Marathon — and could still qualify for Boston.

By the time the couple’s 30th wedding anniversary rolled around several months later, however, Hal’s physical struggles had continued to progress. Following a longstanding tradition, the Finneys traveled to San Luis Obispo for their anniversary bike ride — one mile for every year they had been married.

“It was always pretty easy,” Fran said. “This year, we didn’t make the 30 miles.”

They enjoyed their anniversary nonetheless and felt optimistic about the future. A week later, the bombshell dropped.

Test results came back on August 5. Hal had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known familiarly as ALS or “Lou Gherig’s disease.”

A progressive disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement, ALS is incurable and treatment typically focuses on managing its symptoms.

As motor neurons die, muscles continue to atrophy and patients essentially lose the ability to move — although their mind and senses remain as sharp as ever. Complications arise from difficulty breathing or swallowing, weight loss, and lung failure, among other symptoms.

Although a small percentage of ALS cases result from a genetic defect, scientists have yet to determine the cause of the disease in most cases. Doctors determined Hal doesn’t have the genetic form of ALS.

In the days following his diagnosis, the Finneys struggled to come to grips with the situation.

“It sneaks up on you by its nature,” Hal said.

“He was still feeling good, so he didn’t really believe it, nor did I,” Fran added. “We kept thinking, oh, they made a mistake. This can’t be right.”

Hal had already signed up for his annual half marathon on September 6 and decided he would still compete. He finished the race, but it was a major struggle.

He was exhausted for a week following the competition and hasn’t since run more than three miles at once. Several weeks ago, he gave up running altogether and has continued to step down his physical activity.

“I have been taking it a bit easy,” the 53-year-old said with a soft smile.

That’s not to say he has given up his will to compete. He is the official fourth leg of a relay team that will run the Santa Barbara International Marathon on Sunday.

Aided with a cane, Hal plans to anchor the final 1.9 miles and carry the timing chip across the finish line with his wife, supporters and other families dealing with ALS.

“I told him if he can’t walk it, he can lean on me and we’ll walk it together,” Fran said.

As their plans to finish the marathon unfolded, the Finneys decided to turn the event into a fundraiser for ALS research. Through online donations, they have raised more than $4,000 in what Fran described as a generous outpouring of support from the community.

“Sometimes I just look and I cry, it’s so amazing,” she said.

Donations are being accepted at www.joinmda.org/sbmarathonals/fran. Proceeds will benefit the ALS division of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Many donors and supporters, including the other runners on the relay team, have family connections with the disease.

Katrina Carl, who is running the first leg of the race, recalled visiting her grandfather, who eventually died from ALS, as a young girl.

She distinctly remembers sitting in the back of a car when he still had the ability to drive. A police officer pulled the vehicle over for a minor traffic infraction and quickly noticed her grandfather’s slurred speech.

“They accused him of being drunk,” Carl said. “They got into quite a big altercation.”

She is hopeful that the Finneys’ marathon fundraiser will increase community awareness about ALS, if only to eliminate any stigma or misinformation about the disease.

“It brings sensitivity to the people who are dealing with this disease,” she said.

Once they complete the marathon on Sunday, the Finneys plan to take a family vacation to Colorado. A prolific skier, Hal said he will appreciate the opportunity to be outdoors with his family and might even strap on a set of skis.

“I’m hoping that my skill and experience will allow me to do a bit on the beginner slope,” he said.

It’s a sign of his willingness to fight back against ALS. He has continued to adapt to his changing physical abilities, but has no plans to give up.

He acknowledged the major transition that he is going through with his wife, from learning about his disease to formulating plans to manage its inevitable symptoms.

“There are a lot of things we have to do to get ready for what we know is coming,” he said.

But given the advancements in technology and medicine for people with disabilities, Hal is optimistic that he will be able to contribute to society through his work on cryptographic software, in addition to continuing to enjoy life.

“I hope to be able to still participate at some level in that field, in my profession,” he said, adding later, “I want to keep going.”

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God bless you Hal : 12/2/2009

This disease is horrible. I watched my grandfather die of it. I hope they find a cure for ALS.

SBRes

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Ways To Solve ALS : 12/3/2009

While this article says things about als being untreatable and it's symptoms being inevitable, the truth is that als is solvable and that ways to do that are available now.
Anyone who wants to solve als could start by researching mind body, holistic approaches and healing responses.
Also, Steve Shackel and Evy McDonald are two people who have written accounts of how they solved their als problems. There are more out there.

Marty Murray

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I will be looking for you : 12/4/2009

My father in law died of complications of ALS....the relay shows that it "it takes a village" to find a cure...
be strong and never give up!

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Inspiration : 12/17/2009

This is a GREAT story. Adpating to ones life to such events displays one's strength and courage. My favorite quote from this was: “I told him if he can’t walk it, he can lean on me and we’ll walk it together,” Fran said. Thank for for the inspiration to others that are inflicted with this disease

A

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