Faces of: The Pendergasts Ride for Life

Chris Pendergast of Miller Place was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gherig's disease, in 1993. Since that October day, nearly 18 years ago, Pendergast has founded the Ride for Life organization, helped raised $3.5 million in funds for ALS research and inspired tens of thousands of students across Long Island.

Pendergast speaks at each year, and each year students leave the auditorium inspired.

"He speaks about his disease and his fight," Matthew Clark, principal of the school, said. "He had two choices – accept defeat or take all of his efforts and create this Ride for Life. We embrace him as a friend. He’s our neighbor and our hero."

He began his 14th annual Ride for Life on Monday, May 9th in Riverhead. On Thursday, May 12, he traveled from through Miller Place for a reception at Heritage Park.

Christine Pendergast spoke on behalf of her husband.

What was your initial reaction when your husband was first diagnosed with ALS?

Our initial reaction was that we were immediately given a death sentence. There was very little available back then to help us figure out what ALS was all about and what if any resources were there to help us.

How did your lives change once you heard the diagnosis?

Immediately, we knew that what our plans were for the future were drastically changed, that our son who was in third grade probably would not live to see his dad be at his graduation and my daughter would not be able to have her dad walk her down the aisle and there would be no living the golden years into retirement for us.

Most ALS patients are told that they have 2-5 years to live. Your husband is in his 17th year since diagnosis.  Why do you think he has so drastically exceeded expectations?

This October will mark his 18th year of diagnosis. Our true feeling is that God has a plan for him and that was to use his time to speak for so many ALS patients and to advocate for all of those families who are busy taking care of their loved ones who are battling ALS. There is never a real reason why someone lives as long as Chris lives, although he is quite compromised. I don’t want to give the impression that he is not disabled. He has no use of his arms or hands, has a feeding tube, uses a non-invasive ventilator. If he was not using all of those assisted devices, he would be dead.

What lessons have you, as his wife, learned over the last 17 years?

I think one of the things we have learned as a family is that you can never predict the future. It doesn’t matter what science and medicine tells you. You just need to keep moving forward and take one day at a time.