John Morehouse of Hood River, OR speaks highly of the services available to him through ALS Northwest. He shared, “I’ve never experienced the kind of support I get for ALS… we know they’re there for me.” When he isn’t busy traveling worldwide, John brings his uplifting energy to the Hood River Support Group led by Amber Smith. He says, “When I’m there, I feel I have a positive impact.”
John and his wife Sherri have resided in Hood River for the past eight years. They met at a pub in Pike Place Market in Seattle; at the time, John was a Marine Corps Captain on a shipyard assignment, and Sherri was working at Starbucks’ corporate headquarters. They had an instant connection. Sherri now works for Clorox, but she and John live together along with two poodles (Sensei and Bella) and four chickens. They also have two sons, John and Josh.
The Path to a Diagnosis
After retiring in 2020, John started noticing something was ‘off’ when he couldn’t turn a light switch and started to experience uncharacteristic cramping after mountain biking. An ALS diagnosis often takes a while to confirm as it requires the gradual elimination of other possible diseases. After several tests, John received his ALS diagnosis in August 2021. “It was such a hard thing to accept,” said Sherri.
John and Sherri didn’t waste any time. They’ve always been active, so they went on international kiteboarding excursions to make the most of whatever time they may have. Sherri described this period as deeply formative, saying, “Doing what we love and appreciating that was a real turning point.” They remained concerned and uncertain about the future, but realized John could still live a full life with ALS.
While embracing all that life had to offer, the couple also took a precautionary approach to the diagnosis. John’s ALS currently affects his hands, upper body, and tongue, so he completed voice banking to digitally preserve his speech. John also worked with a contractor to remodel their home, preparing a portion of the house to be fully accessible to a power wheelchair. “You need to keep your standard of living fluid,” Sherri acknowledged.
Coping and New Hobbies
To support John, Sherri is passionate about research and learning as much as she can about ALS. When John was first diagnosed, she immediately prepared them with a five-year plan, knowing the average lifespan of a person with ALS is two to five years. Together, John and Sherri are interested in exploring all possible avenues of treatment and testing that might help explain John’s disease, including taking a Lyme disease test. There is currently no known cause for ALS, but John and Sherri find both hope and purpose in the uncovering of alternative treatments.
Today, John and Sherri balance local and international travel with pursuits closer to home. One of John’s favorite things is the simple act of sipping coffee by the fireplace every morning. He also loves trying new things, so he recently picked up a more unusual hobby: beekeeping. John and Sherri both continue to stay active skiing, hiking, and mountain biking with their friends.
As the years have passed since John’s ALS diagnosis, Sherri’s five-year plan became a ten-year plan, and now John and Sherri simply embrace life as it comes. Sherri says, “We’re learning not to say no… opportunities may not come back.” She adds that what has been really helpful in their ALS journey is to “focus on what you can do, not what you can’t.”
John adds, “Everyone will lose the ability to do things as they age… it’s about enjoying life and staying positive.”