Adventure culminates with emotional build day for family impacted by ALS

Adventure culminates with emotional build day for family impacted by ALS

WINDHAM, Maine — John Gregoire has been fighting ALS — also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease — for 15 years. The disease has confined him to a wheelchair and stolen his ability to speak. Yet, his love for the outdoors and fresh air remains.

So, wife Linda turned to the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing for help. They have partnered with the family to make the home more accessible for John’s wheelchair and more able to facilitate his safe exit from the house when needed. They also agreed to build a porch onto which John could safely roll out and enjoy fresh air.

Fortunately, they had many volunteers come out to support the project this past weekend — including local supporters and a whole bunch of orange-clad cyclists from the Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure who were on the verge of wrapping up a 4,000-mile fundraising and awareness journey from Oregon to Maine.

“We really have no place on our two acres that I can safely navigate my power chair to get some sun and fresh air,” John told News Center Maine through his laptop computer. “The porch will allow me to roll out the front door.”