Sigma Chi - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

2 N ora and I celebrated our 18th anniversary this past August, and while the path we were on changed dramatically 13 years ago, we are strengthened and blessed by our faith in God and the support of everyone around us. I was diagnosed with ALS in November of 2008 after noticing muscle twitches in my shoulders in March of that year and a steady, body-wide decline in strength throughout the summer and fall. It was devastating to hear the doctor say, "This is ALS." I got light-headed almost immediately and I couldn't eat for three days. I felt like life as we knew it was over and we were facing an uncertain future. I was able to continue working, with increasing difficulty, until the summer of 2009 when I started to need assistance to walk. My mobility continued to decline over the next two years. In December of 2011, I had a feeding tube placed because swallowing became too difficult and dangerous. In the spring of 2012, I got my first eye-controlled computer, as my speech was becoming unintelligible, and I could no longer move my arms to type. A year later, late one night while we were sleeping, I started hyperventilating and couldn't stop. Nora woke up to find me unconscious and unresponsive, so she called 911. I regained consciousness in the hospital on a ventilator and spent the next four months in the ICU. During that time, we made the decision to have a tracheostomy performed because my diaphragm was too weak to come off the ventilator. Since then, I've been fairly stable and have stayed out of the hospital, save for having my gallbladder out in 2014. My survival thus far, as well as staying out of the hospital, and my comfort throughout our nearly 14-year journey with this awful disease are all due to the tireless efforts of my amazing wife, Nora. Her unconditional love is the reason that I keep fighting. In July of 2015, Brother Gary "Slug" Wood '71 moved on to the Chapter Eternal after a courageous battle with cancer that had attacked his spine, necessitating the use of a wheelchair. Gary and his wife, Joann "Sam," had purchased a wheelchair-accessible van to enjoy a little more freedom. After Slug's passing, Sam very graciously offered the van to us, and thanks to the incredible generosity of many of you, it was completely paid for and then some. We are very grateful to have so many strong arms around us. We try not to let this disease stop us from enjoying the things we like to do, and the van has made that significantly easier. We are so grateful to have the freedom to be on our own schedule for everything from doctor appointments to church and day trips to Lake George. We've also gone on several longer trips with the van prior to COVID, including one to Pennsylvania to visit the family of Pete Wurst '04, our annual family vacations to Cape Cod, and a trip to Yankee Stadium to see Garth Brooks (which is the only good reason to go to Yankee Stadium). This may not have been the life we originally planned, but through our faith, love for each other, and the blessings of our family, friends, and brothers of Sigma Chi, God has given us the miracles we need every day to continue our journey together. IHSV, Nora and Chris Gribbin '00 ccgribbin@gmail.com Chris Gribbin '00 Recounts His 13-Year Battle with ALS Chris Gribbin served as Chapter Advisor from 2001 to 2008. Chris Gribbin '00 and his wonderful wife, Nora. Birthday Please join us in Troy for Delta Psi's 70ish Anniversary Celebration on Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2! Annual Meeting Phi Epsilon Phi held its Annual Meeting on Friday, August 27. Brothers Dan Zuber '10 and Mike Greenberg '15 were reelected to the Board. Brother Tom Hamlin '83 was elected to his first term. Address Changes The House Corporation invested in new software to do all our contact management. It includes automatic change of address service, so if you notify the post office of your change of address, Delta Psi automatically gets the update. To update your address with Sigma Chi International, go to their website and log in. You may have to set up an account. You can update all your information in your profile. Here is the address to the log-in page: https:// members.sigmachi.org. Announcements Arthur V. Farmer '52 – December 2020 Walter O. Mueller '53 – January 2021 William A. Schuerman Jr. '54 – March 2021 Joseph V. Leblanc '54 – April 2021 Denny "The Rag" George '66 – July 2021 Andrew J. Burke '66 – July 2021 Chapter Eternal

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