“Opportunity” can be used to describe many things – a new job, a new home, a new baby or starting college. Using the word “opportunity” to describe a terminal illness is not the norm, but it is the way Chad Poole has chosen to look at his diagnosis of ALS.
Locust Hill Baptist Church in North Greenville Association recently sponsored a golf tournament, meal and silent auction to raise money for church mission trips and $7,000 has been raised. Pictured are Chad, Erin, Maggie and Nicklaus Poole presenting a check to Locust Hill senior pastor Bill Pfister. Chad is a former golf pro who has ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, has no cure. It is typically a rapidly progressing disease that leads to paralysis and death.
Poole was just 27 years old and was celebrating the birth of his first child, Maggie, when he received the diagnosis. He was a professional golfer enjoying the good life and suddenly everything was turned upside down.
“Over the next few weeks, my jubilation and the happiness of being a new dad were shattered,” he said. “The doctor, who was cold and uncaring, gave me a diagnosis of ALS and bluntly told me the disease is fatal and I might live for another year if I was lucky.”
Poole, a lifelong member of Locust Hill Baptist Church in Travelers Rest, admits that the news hit him hard. He was overwhelmed with devastation and fear.
“It wasn’t until four years ago that I realized some very important things,” he said. “All the worrying was getting me nowhere, it was making me weaker and it was not allowing me to focus on God. Instead of worrying, I needed to be using this as an opportunity.”
In the eight years since his diagnosis, Poole has lost approximately 55 pounds, his speech is extremely slurred (interview questions were answered via email) and he is no longer able to do simple things like button his shirt or tie his shoes. His wife Erin, daughter Maggie, who is now 8, and son Nicklaus who is 6, are a close-knit family working together to make the best of their day-to-day lives.
“I could easily sit around and worry about Maggie’s and Nicklaus’ future, Erin’s life without me, the way people look at me, etc. – Instead, I have this tremendous opportunity to share my faith with people and strive to be more like Jesus,” he said. “Why not enjoy the time we have with the people we love by sharing Christ? God is in control; trust in him. Worrying is a sin and only makes us weaker.”
Poole’s condition has baffled doctors a bit by the fact that he has lived for more than eight years with the disease that they had expected to be fatal within a year.
“But when sharing, people learn that this is not a story of how Chad Poole is beating the odds. It is a story of how no matter what life throws at us, we can put it in God’s hands and trust him with it,” he said. “I spent a good portion of my life avoiding a relationship with God and living selfishly. Thanks to ALS, I have learned the importance of walking daily with Christ. Without him, you are lost whether you realize it or not.”
Poole said initially he and his family were somewhat private about his diagnosis.
“As time passed, God began to work through me and provided us opportunity after opportunity to share our story,” he said. “[I have an] opportunity to take a terrible, life-changing event and make the best of it by sharing my faith and allowing God to use me in many ways.”
“When you go through a struggle, people pay attention to what you do,” Erin said. “There seems to be a lot of focus on [Chad]. He stays so strong, even though he’s not strong physically. He trusts in God and puts all his faith in him. He’s not able to speak, but he’s able to show people through his actions, through everyday life.”
Poole has shared his testimony numerous times over the years, including a video that has been shown to many churches. He has even shared his testimony through the voice of his 8-year-old daughter at Clemson University after he was no longer able to speak clearly. He has had the opportunity to spread awareness of ALS and minister to families facing the devastating disease. He recently organized a golf tournament and raised more than $7,000 for Locust Hill Baptist Church mission trips.
“Through it all, I have approached this as an opportunity to glorify God. God has power over all circumstances,” Poole said. “As Lou Gehrig said, ‘I might have been given a bad break, but I’ve got an awful lot to live for.’ Jesus tells us his strength and power are most effective through our weakness.”