Ronni Abramovitz, Rochester, New York
Creativity coupled with determination often allows a person to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. That’s what happened to Ronni Abramovitz last fall when she realized she could not attend her son David’s November wedding in North Carolina due ALS. The resourceful mother-of-the-groom, who has lived with the neurodegenerative muscular disease since 2009, ultimately utilized an iPad and Skype to be a remote guest during David’s nuptials with Alexis Rose Kropp.
Les and Ronni Abramovitz at the 2011 Rochester Walk to Defeat ALS
This May, The ALS Association’s Upstate New York Chapter is honoring the imaginative Abramovitz and her husband and caregiver, Les, during ALS Awareness Month for the annual “ALS Across America” campaign.
“Ronni knows how to get things done and is an inspiration to both patients and caregivers alike,” said the chapter’s Executive Director, Kathy Lahey. “Both she and Les are always upbeat and jovial, and I find their sense of humor quite remarkable.”
Humor has undoubtedly helped the Abramovitz family through other difficult times. In 2008, Abramovitz was battling breast cancer, and in the following year, doctors diagnosed her with ALS. She currently uses a motorized wheelchair and personal care assistance for daily living activities. Nonetheless, Abramovitz’ indomitable spirit, along with her professional expertise as a director at Lifespan’s Ombudsman Program, which provides care management resources to older adults, allowed her to brainstorm for ideas to attend David and Alexis’ wedding.
“In the end, technology saved the day!” Abramovitz, 66, said in an article that appeared in the February 16, 2012 edition of Rochester’s Democrat and Chronicle. “Through the magic of Apple’s iPad and the Skype program, I was part of every moment of David and Alexis’s wedding. Eleven of my friends and family spent the day with me. As mother of the groom, I was a knock-out with my beautiful ‘mother of the groom’ dressy top, hairdo and makeup. With the iPad in my husband’s hand at all times and Skype uploaded on our 40” widescreen TV, I had the best seat in the house!”
Abramovitz willingness to cope with difficult situations has also benefitted the chapter. She and her husband have served as valuable resources for the chapter’s support group in Rochester. “They give excellent suggestions and feedback to others at the support group, and they share important details about their relationship and the support they give to one another as they walk the path of ALS,” Lahey said.
In addition to giving advice to other families fighting Lou Gehrig’s Disease, the couple also help the chapter with its annual Rochester Walk to Defeat ALS®. Their Walk team, “Ronni’s Power Team”, raised more than $5,200 during the September 2011 Walk, making them the second highest fundraising team for last year’s Walk.
Due to mobility issues, Abramovitz will not attend the annual National ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., in the nation’s capital, but she and Les plan to continue to raise ALS awareness on a local level said Lahey.
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