Over the past three years, the now retired East Side Principal Dr. Josh Wandell and his family have demonstrated unbelievable strength and courage through a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that has impacted people across the region and many of us personally.
We at the Elizabethton Star want to express our great admiration for Wandell, and our pride in the community for showing such unprecedented support for a man that has been more than a husband, father, principal, athlete and friend to the people of Carter County. His faith, leadership and perseverance continue to inspire us daily.
Below is a message from Wandell with reference to the recent completion of his first marathon with the help of both old friends and new. Because ALS affects his ability to speak, he typed the message he wanted to share.
“I felt very fortunate to compete again. I definitely felt my competitive juices flowing again. My first thought was, ‘through Christ all things are possible.’ I was blessed to do something I always wanted to, but didn’t think was possible and it happened because a special group of people cared more about me than they did themselves.”
“I feel very blessed to live in such a great community. I want to be very clear that my family and I are amazed daily at the random acts of kindness we are showered with; from paying for our meals to sending encouraging cards in the mail.”
“The Wheels for Wandell [Race] is a perfect example. To my knowledge, me nor my family have met the folks who organized this event. They saw an opportunity to help and did so with this event.”
“I can’t think of a better time to restore faith in your fellow man, and this is what this community is doing. This community has come together to support me and my family and the Lord will bless them. I hope our children will remember how we have been blessed and will do the same for others.”
“God has given me such a peace through all this, that has made my faith grow exponentially. ALS is a very humbling disease that leaves you as a prisoner in your own body. So ALS has given me a huge audience to be an ambassador for the kingdom. Like it says in James, consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds. My hope is people will see through their trials, look and count their blessings and you will see God never fails.”
“He didn’t give me ALS, but what Satan meant for evil, God turned into good.”
“The Bible says a lot about running the good race… running the race with endurance, and that inspires me. I have always said my finish line may have been moved up, and wow what a blessing it is to run with the idea of glorifying God. Then again I may hop out of bed in the morning if God so chooses to heal me.”
“I will conclude by briefly discussing the real picture of strength, my wife. Every morning throughout the week she gets the kids ready, fixes them breakfast, gets herself ready, tube feeds me, and gives me medicine all before 7:15. On Saturday, she’s up by 7:30 to meet my Saturday caregiver and they clean and disinfect so I don’t pick up any germs. On Sunday, she repeats Monday routine before 9:50. If we need groceries she goes to store and carries everything in. Oh yeah she’s a full time teacher and parental involvement coordinator. She’s does her part at home and mine too.”
“FAITH OVER FEAR”
Community members have shown support by participating in the annual Race for Wandell, through T-shirt purchases, by taking meals to the Wandell family and through financial contributions for his racing chair and medical expenses.
To help him purchase a specialized racing chair, participate in the upcoming Wheels for Wandell Race on April 28. Register by searching “Wheels for Wandell” on runcorps.com or runsignup.com.
To sign up to take the Wandells a meal, visit takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=BJOP6724, or contact meal coordinator Sheila Wandell at swandell@charter.net. The meal schedule is currently full, but check back in later to learn how to help.
Additionally, financial contributions are welcome by visiting teamwandell.com and clicking on the donate tab at the top of the page. With general inquiries, messages may be sent to Team Wandell’s Facebook page or to kellygeagley@yahoo.com.