One Man…

Used to facing challenges in business, I always overcame them, some harder than others, but perseverance is written in my book with a capital P.

By the way, I am Dutch so excuse my English…

As a child I wanted to become a journalist, instead I became a successful maritime entrepreneur, probably because it’s in my genes. Maybe writing is too? Hence my first blog.

Honestly? I have ALS and want to do what everyone wants; change the world and find a cure. I am also a realist and change doesn t come overnight, so its hard work, hard work and repeat that a couple of times.

I have been diagnosed in June 2010 and my progression is pretty slow, but steadily progressing, the reason I will not write extensive blogs, not sure when I need assistive technology to continue writing.

But since it is my first one, here is my bio: currently 45 years old and married to my lovely wife Antoinette and two sons 15 & 16 years of age. The oldest one leaving the nest next month to study his A levels in Oxford….oooh his mother is even more nervous than he is!

My first signs appeared in the winter of 2009/2010 and confronted with a little numbness in my left hand I thought it was time to become more active, after a busy, hectic life where my business grew with Chinese percentages I started working out. Soon it appeared that lifting a weight bar looked like an off-balanced old fashioned scale and after a long journey of exams, I finally got my destiny. Scared, angry, sad but motivated I started my journey with working out even harder, studying and worrying, until last year the real change came, I accepted and took responsibility for the challenge ahead… “heads up, straighten your back and just keep on walking…”

Since then I have, with my fellow patient, Robbert Jan, lifted up the bar trying to accelerate research efforts by motivating scientists to aim high and thinking that if money was no object…. It resulted in the biggest genetic research study to date, named by me, project MinE.

Together we founded Treeway, a small biotech company solely aimed at developing therapies for ALS. Since everyone can spent their penny only once, we try to identify promising drug compounds and partner with other companies to shorten the ridiculous development times of drugs in a modern society.

I use social media to communicate with my audience and how I do this will be in my next blog, first I have to be that man…..

“One Man can and will find a way, why not be that man”