June 5, 2019
Andrew and Erin had never been to Boston, they had never been to a Stanley Cup Game, and they didn’t know if bringing a five month old along was the right thing to do. They went to Boston. They went to Game 5. And while their daughter spent the game with a babysitter away from the crowds, she was in Boston.
After Andrew was diagnosed with ALS, Erin says it was the first time that they started to really live. They lived more passionately and started seeing things differently. When Andrew reached out to fulfill his dreams of seeing the Stanley Cup Final in person, Team Gleason teamed up with Augie’s Quest to make it happen.
They boarded their flight in Arizona a day before Game 5. With their daughter in their laps, they landed in Boston. Team Gleason and Augie’s Quest were able to provide a rental car to make sightseeing and exploring the city more accessible. When it came to food they went for the local specialties: Lobster and Clam Chowder.
But this trip was all about hockey. After searching for the right words to describe the stands during Game 5, Erin came up with “Passionate.” For Andrew, he was quick to recall the crowd standing up and cheering after the Bruin’s Captain returned to the ice for the first time since breaking his jaw.
When the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues were up and then tied 2-2, the crowd was great. Things changed when the Bruins lost, but between the history of Boston and a thrilling Game Five, Erin says they had never been a part of such a memorable experience.
The next day, they were headed back out west. As soon as he could, Andrew was telling his brother and two older sons about the game. And a year later, according to Andrew, “I think about it all the time. Especially now that there’s no hockey to watch and enjoy.”
When we asked Erin what she would want families living with ALS to know, she thought carefully before responding. “Before he was diagnosed, we had no idea how generous and kind people can be, how many organizations are out there. You are definitely not alone in it. There are so many other resources.”
Andrew, in a way that only husband’s can, agreed with her.
To see the amazing work that Augie’s Quest to End ALS is doing, check out their website at https://augiesquest.org/.
