East Greenwich woman takes ALS fight to national stage
EAST GREENWICH The Thompsons have had an unwanted visitor living in their home since late 2018, a cruel presence that goes by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.
It began for the family Aug. 31, 2018, when Olin Thompson, then a 47-year-old federal public defender and highly regarded contender for the Superior Court bench, had trouble lifting his right foot.
By that December, they had a diagnosis. It was ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
“It’s a diagnosis of exclusion. People are praying for anything other than ALS,” said Christa Thompson, who met Olin when the two went to Camp Fuller in Wakefield as kids. Today, they have three sons, Olin IV, Atticus and Nathaniel, ages 18, 14, and 11.