Name: Donald T. Hageman

Hometown, State: Lansing, MI

Age: 66

Family:
Married 45 years to Marge; two married children; eight grandchildren. Debbie, the youngest, is a music teacher living across the street home schooling six children with Marge’s help. The eldest, Donna, is a 5th grade teacher living in California with two children.

Hobbies/Interests:
Grandparenting, international travel, RV traveling throughout the U.S.A., camping, fishing, swimming, boating, motorcycling, biking, backyard mechanics and engineering, reading novels of sailing, Westerns and adventure stories, church fellowship and enjoyment of friends.

Date of ALS diagnosis:
September 9, 2007

Tell us about your life before ALS:
- Born in Plainfield, NJ, family of 6: older brother, two younger sisters
- Wheaton College graduate in sociology and psychology, University of Chicago graduate in social work
- 10 years in professional mental health and child welfare social work
- 35 years as missionary with SEND International, living overseas in Japan and Spain. And from Michigan base, traveling to over 30 countries as International Personnel Director to share opportunities for non-North American Christians to serve as cross-cultural workers. Ending ministry these past six years, visiting 15 college campuses in the U.S.A. to challenge and counsel students to consider full-time mission work overseas.

Tell us about your life with ALS:
First noticed twitches in left arm and hand in January 2005. First heard of ALS at time of first EMG test September 2006. In private shock for next six months as I learned more and more about this disease.
As months have gone by, weakness has slowly spread across my upper body and the twitches or fasciculations have spread to many other muscle groups of my body.
As a very active person, prefer “doing” over sitting, watching sports or TV programs. I daily experience new activities that are either more difficult to accomplish or simply are no longer possible as my body muscles vanish.

Tell us how ALS has brought new significance to any aspect of your life - family, attitude, hobbies/passions, career, etc.:
Since first learning of the possible diagnosis of ALS in September 2006, the awareness of my mortality has been a daily companion making me appreciate in a new way the wonderful creation God has made for us to enjoy and to feel the preciousness of each day of life that my creator God chooses to allow me to enjoy.

I have been blessed in my mission career to not only experience “success” but to be involved in a ministry of “significance,” serving God and my fellow men and women throughout my working years. Once my diagnosis became finalized in September 2007, I realized it was time to retire from full-time mission work. However, I have chosen to continue in a voluntary role of “Limited Assignment,” visiting five college campuses to represent the mission for as long as the Lord provides health, strength, wisdom and discernment to provide wise counsel to college students. This ministry has been and continues to be a most rewarding and significant ministry to young men and women.

In February 2008, I [traveled] home after participating as part of a team of 15 from our Lansing church participating in Katrina Relief construction work in Gulfport, Miss. Daily, I discovered tasks that I was able to do just six months ago that were now impossible to accomplish. I constantly have to modify my expectations and be willing to ask others to perform the tasks that I no longer have the strength to do.

At times I do find it emotionally difficult to reflect on how much has been lost in so short a time. But I also give thanks to God each day for those things He still is allowing me to accomplish. I experienced daily significance in serving with a positive attitude and completed little tasks that contributed to the overall relief project.

One of my desires in my anticipated retirement was to be able to spend time RVing in Florida, experiencing warmer weather during the winter months, and enjoying some of my favorite hobbies such as boating and fishing. In this early stage of ALS, I have been able to do this. This has been a great joy but I am constantly aware that this might be my last opportunity so it has made these experiences especially precious.

I have enjoyed keeping in daily touch with family and friends using all the modern technology so available these days. With cell phone, Wi-Fi, Internet, e-mail, SKYPE and CAM Camera, there is instant and regular communication to maintain audio and visual contact no matter where one is residing. What a wonderful age we live in to have a terminal illness and yet stay connected to friends and family.

Medical support with this terrible disease has been wonderful. The doctors, nurses, lab technicians, neurologists and specialists in the MDA/ALS clinic have been so supportive and helpful. Again, what a privilege it is for me to live with this disease and enjoy the benefits of all these supportive resources. However, bottom line is the fact that I serve a great God who is in control of everything including my eternal destiny.