Coach LeClair
Coach Keith LeClair passed away today. For any who might not know, he was a baseball coach at ECU who was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) about 5 years ago. He went from being a coach to being wheelchair-bound in 4 months. But his faith was VERY strong, and he was such an inspiration.
The praise team at my former church went to his home & sang for him in an informal outdoor setting for an hour or so a couple of summers ago. Afterwards we went inside to meet him & pray with him, and his wife served us refreshments. Coach LeClair was amazing. He communicated with us through some kind of eye/laser technology in which he could look at an alphabet board and use it to form words thru the computer, and it "talked" to us. He encouraged US. I stood there in tears at this man who literally could not move anything but his eyes, and he was still praising God. What did I have to complain about?
I wrote an article about him, which was published in the Sunday School curriculum that lets me write for them, a year or so ago. The same article is also published this month in Carolina Life, the magazine for WAGO, which is the radio station where my husband works part-time. The timing is just amazing, isn't it? I'm sad for his family but I know he is in a better place now. He made quite an impact on this community before he got sick, and even more so afterwards, I think.
He died being known as a man of faith. What a wonderful legacy!
posted by Carolyn at 8:29 PM
2 Comments:
I had the pleasure of working for/with Coach about 1 year before he passed away. I only "lasted" about 1 month with him but there is an everlasting impression that not only he but his family left upon me. Taking care of this man, whose outer shell no longer worked for him, but knowing that his inner mind still functioned perfectly was very frustrating. I found myself wanting to say...get up...do this yourself...but I knew that that form of a miracle was not going to happen. I looked at his family, his strong wife and beautiful children, she trying to keep some sort of "life" for them and still trying to maintain a household. Seeing the many, many people in and out of the home during the day, offering any kind of help they could give. It was an amazing experience. And everyday, at about 1 pm, aftger ew finished with his tube feedings, medications, and suctioning....a group of ball players came in and he had "sunday school" lessons for them and did it all fomr his eyegaze machine....amazing. Simply! So seeing your blog struck a few tender memories in me and I thank you. I chose not to stay on his case not b/c I did not like it there, only b/c he and my husband were 4 months apart in age and my heart broke nearly everytime that I drove into the driveway. I pray that the Lord will make me as strong as this family was/is.
Thanks for sharing this, Geri. Coach LeClair was an amazing man. Just thinking about that day brings tears to my eyes, too, and I didn't even know him well. I can see where he & Tommy being the same age might bring it a little "close to home." And you talk about his wife being strong - you know, I think moments like this bring out the strength in us. If she weren't required to walk that road, she might have never known that strength. I think God graces us for the moment we're in, if we allow Him to. And then once it's over, we look back & see God's grace all over it and know we didn't have much to do with it. But people such as Coach & his wife inspire us and challenge us to rise above our own problems with the same faith and grace that they did. May God help us find that in the moments we truly need it.
Post a Comment
<< Home