To contribute to the Blazemen Warriors for ALS Research, send donations to Heins Family Dentistry, 75 Court St., Plattsburgh, NY 12901, in care of Robert Heins. For more information on the Blazemen Warriors, visit www.waronals.com. To view a clip on Jon Blais's experience as an Ironman, go to YouTube and search for Jon Blais.
PLATTSBURGH — Bob Heins has climbed some of the world's highest mountains.
He has swum its deepest oceans.
And he has always found the time to devote to his successful dentistry business and serve his community as an elected official.
Now, as he approaches his 71st birthday, the Area 10 Clinton County legislator and Plattsburgh dentist has taken on a new cause, one that connects his passion for staying active with his desire to help those in need.
As a regular participant in Ironman triathlons across the nation, Heins is now raising money to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
"It's a horrible disease," Heins said. "It really is a death sentence, and what's most frightening is that not much has changed since Lou Gehrig."
Gehrig, a first baseman for the New York Yankees in the 1920s and '30s and nicknamed the Iron Horse for his resilience in playing in 2,130 straight games, died from ALS on June 2, 1941, just two years after the disease forced him out of the game he loved.
There is still no known cure.
A COURAGEOUS WOMAN
But the connection Heins shares with ALS is much closer than a familiarity with one of baseball's greatest stories. He has personally seen the devastation from ALS on two separate occasions.
"One of the most courageous persons I ever knew was not someone famous or someone I met climbing high peaks," he said.
That was Mary Joan (Mary Jo) Saurwein, the wife of a former well-known North Country physician, Dr. Thomas Saurwein.
"When she was diagnosed with ALS, she was bound and determined to live her life as best she could," Heins said.
ALS causes certain nerve cells called motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord to slowly die. These nerves control the muscles that move various parts of the body.
Some people live with ALS for several years, but over time, the disease makes it hard to walk, speak, eat, swallow and breathe. These problems can lead to injury, illness and, always, death.
Saurwein, an accomplished concert pianist, died Jan. 11, 1996, following a lengthy battle with the disease.
Heins's other connection stems from the interest he has developed in triathlon competition. He has taken part in 10 of the grueling events across the nation, including Ironman races in Lake Placid, Arizona and Hawaii.
Jon Blais, originally from New England but living in California at the time, was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease in 2005 at just 33 years of age. A longtime distance runner, Blais had always wanted to compete in the Hawaii Ironman.
THE BLAIS ROLL
He accomplished that goal on Oct. 15, 2005, five months after his initial diagnosis, determined to battle the disease as long as possible.
"His story is incredible, what he was able to accomplish despite this disease," said Heins, who never met Blais himself but has talked with his father, Bob.
"Like Mary Jo, he did not want to lay down and die. He wanted to fight this thing, and one way to do that was to bring awareness to the disease by running in the Ironman."
Blais finished the race in 16 hours, 28 minutes and 56 seconds, falling to the ground as he approached the finish line and rolling across to symbolize the need to compete no matter what obstacles a person faces.
He was too ill to race in 2006 and died in May 2007, but his legacy lives on through the Blazemen Warriors, the organization Heins is affiliated with that has dedicated itself to improving science's understanding of ALS.
"I really feel good about this organization," said Heins, who will compete in five races this year and will finish each one with the Blais roll across the finish line.
Prior to each race, Heins recites the Rudyard Kipling Poem "If" to remind himself of the simple desire to succeed against all odds. He and the other Blazemen, fueled by Blais's determination, want the "if" in finding a cure for ALS to become "when."
"Hopefully, we're going to learn more about this disease and find a cure."
E-mail Jeff Meyers at: jmeyers@pressrepublican.com
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