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After The ASHA Leader published the articles that my brother, Colin Portnuff, and I wrote about his journey with ALS (Nov. 7, 2006), we received many letters of support from ASHA members. I want to express my thanks for this support and encouragement, and to share the sad news that Colin died on Feb. 11 at the age of 55.
Colin rejected the battle metaphor for living with ALS. In a recent conference presentation, he offered his own metaphor. He showed a slide of the autumn color of the vine maple outside his window, which had given him great pleasure. He related that he was briefly saddened the next day when the branches were bare after a windy night-until he saw that those bare branches revealed the golden leaves of the pear tree just beyond, and realized that it would, in turn, reveal the full and lasting beauty of the large blue spruce beyond it. He pondered this as "a metaphor for life, its transition, and eventual end."
Colin was fortunate to live in the Portland, OR, area, where he received the services of the extraordinary ALS Association (ALSA) of Oregon and Southwest Washington. ALSA gave him the vigorous and loving support he needed to keep on finding the color beyond the bare branches. You can find this group online. Donations in Colin's name may be sent to: ALS Association of Oregon and Southwest Washington, 310 SW Fourth Avenue, Suite 630, Portland, OR 97204.
Gail Portnuff Venable
San Francisco, California
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