GILROY—After watching multiple sclerosis strip her uncle of his independence, going from walking and driving alone to using a wheelchair and being bedridden, Gilroy High School junior Allison Jordan is raising money to cure the disease.
The 15-year-old has been working around the clock in Gilroy and Morgan Hill to promote the upcoming Sept. 27 Walk for Multiple Sclerosis, a for-charity 5K walk/run at the Gilroy Sports Park she organized.
“I wanted to do something to make his whole year,” she told the Dispatch, of her uncle Chris Hogan, who lives at the Hillview Convalescent Hospital in Morgan Hill.
Hogan, 60, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2000, and has seen his health decline significantly over the last two years. He’s moved from his own home to nursing homes, and transitioned from relative freedom to dependence on others.
Each move has taken a toll on Hogan, who describes himself as a ‘do-it-yourselfer’ and used to run his own property management business.
All funding generated by the charity walk will benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, a nonprofit Jordan selected because the money raised goes toward research for a cure.
“I wanted to make sure it’s all going to the thing that’s going to solve the problem. I want it to go towards what’s going to have the biggest impact on ending the disease for all,” she said.
Allison grew up around her uncle. She and her mother, Angela Jordan, Hogan’s youngest sister, have helped care for him through some difficult times.
“Us three are family. It has brought us very close,” Angela Jordan said, adding that she and her daughter often visited Hogan to help with household chores and prepare meals. “I don’t think Allison and Chris would have the relationship they do otherwise.”
The two share a sense of humor and the mantra that “if you want something done right, you do it yourself.” They’ve also developed an intimate bond as each helps the other through the emotional and physical rollercoaster that is multiple sclerosis.
“Sometimes, out of adversity comes strength,” Hogan said. “It’s good the family stepped in. I feel like a burden sometimes.”
During an interview at the Hillview Convalescent Hospital Sept. 13, Allison paused at one point to wipe tears from her uncle’s eyes while he described how the disease affected him.
“She’s a lot like me, which is bad,” Hogan said of their independent spirits, causing Angela and Allison Jordan to chuckle.
Multiple sclerosis, he said, has brought him much closer to Angela Jordan.
“We didn’t really know each other much before I moved out here because of the (13-year) age difference,” he said.
Many members of Hogan’s extended family are flying in from around the country to attend the Sept. 27 charity walk/run in Gilroy. That includes his 26-year-old son, whom Hogan hasn’t seen since January.
“It’s so exciting to have the family come together because of all this. I think that’s the best part about it,” Allison Jordan said.
Registration for the 9 a.m. event can be emailed to her at al******@gm***.com, or mailed to 1361 Cedar Court, Gilroy, 95020. Each space costs $25 and children 12 and under walk free. Cash and checks are accepted, and the latter can be made payable to Allison Jordan.
Registration forms for the 5K charity walk/run at the Gilroy Sports Park can be mailed to 1361 Cedar Court, Gilroy, 95020 or emailed to Allison Jordan at al******@gm***.com
Cost of the event is $25 per space and children 12 and under walk free (cash or checks, made out to Allison Jordan, are accepted)
Proceeds will go to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and its search for a cure
The event runs from 9 to 11 a.m. Sept. 27 at the Gilroy Sports Park, located at 5925 Monterey Frontage Rd.
