MY HANDI-CAPABLE REPORTER JULY 2002

CHANGING PESSIMISM TO OPTIMISM VOLUME 7 ISSUE 7

We would like you to please meet a friend of ours, the phenomenal TOM SCHEPPERS, a 42-year old school teacher. Living in the South Bay of California, Tom is tall, slender and is very fair complected. We mention his looks as the doctor diagnosing his MACHADO JOSEPH SYNDROM CONDITION had no obvious physical clue to base a diagnosis of this ailment, usually found among the people of the AZORES, such as Portugese people of olive complexion,dark hair and eyes (the opposite of Tom's fair coloring).

When Tom's gait began to change and he found it difficult suddenly to catch a ball (baseball or volleyball) his doctor, the head of neurology at UCLA, did a blood test and found the diagnosis of MACHADO-JOSEPH SYNDROME DISEASE. That was 1-1/2 years ago. Tom had been a truck driver for almost 10 years driving BOBTAIL trucks delivering steel products. He also enjoyed his motorcycle, even though breaking his light motorcycle in an accident for which he was not the cause. Tom is aware there is no medication for Machado-Joseph Disease, he does take antidepressants, and says they must work, as he is not depressed. He can no longer jog or run anymore, thogh he still drives a car.