Making It Possible #30 – Andre Blanchette
My name is Andre Blanchette, and the love of my life, my wife, Carole, met as teenagers in 1965 when my family moved to Yellowknife, where we were neighbours. We fell in love and planned to marry, but things were not meant to be for us at that time. We both left town for separate futures.
Since 1984, after graduating with honours from NAIT in Computer Systems, I have worked as a programmer-analyst for banks and trust companies, implementing new programs. In 2001, I returned to Edmonton and started my own company, building custom software for the professional homebuilder. This involved many long hours, often long into the evening of planning and design, as well as logic and code review, preparing for my small team the next day. Over the course of 20 years, the program ballooned into an all-encompassing business application with approximately 2 million lines of code.
It was during this time, after 38 years with no contact between us, that Carole came back into my life. In February 2004, a ‘Happy Birthday’ email arrived, informing me that her kid brother had passed away suddenly the week before. In 2006, she joined me in the business, and we became a team, eventually marrying in 2012.
In Jan 2020, I saw my new Family Dr. with a complaint of ‘trigger finger’ and a subsequent visit in Sept with other limb weakness, which prompted an immediate referral to a neurologist. In December, after a battery of tests, he said that he was sure it was ALS, but needed an MRI to confirm the diagnosis. We were both stunned and spent the next 2 months, until our appointment in February, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Within 3 months, I was examined at the Kaye Clinic and entered into a couple of studies at the U of A. During the next couple of years, we continued to work at the office, but with decreasing mental stamina, energy and gradual weight loss, we closed the doors in Nov 2023.
After a few falls on the ice in early 2024, I suddenly had more difficulty managing stairs and needed help bathing. In May, we applied for a handicap placard, but with my increasing memory loss, by year’s end, Carole was doing most of the driving. I also lost the ability to even sign my name.
In March 2025, I had to accept the fact that I no longer had the strength or memory to be behind the wheel, so I voluntarily surrendered my license. This was a tough one, as I had been driving equipment on the farm since I was 12 and had my Driver’s license at 16. This year we also decided that being home-owners just took more energy than we had to spare, so in Sept we made the big move.
In 2026, the changes are coming fast!! I now use a walker regularly when outside the apartment. For many things, my hands are becoming useless, like buttons, zippers, lifting cups/glasses, bathing, dressing, brushing my teeth and cutting my food. Standing or walking any distance is difficult, and I have no appetite. I have lost almost 40 lbs of muscle mass from a normal weight of 162. My wife has been there to help me through all of these changes and difficulties. I feel so blessed and thank her daily for everything she does for me.
Through this journey, the ALS Society of Alberta has stood by us, providing much-needed equipment: bath chair, stair lift and walker -sometimes on short notice!! We’ve attended in-person and Zoom meetings when schedules and weather permit. My wife has also taken the “Compass for the Caregiver” course offered by the ALS Society, which has given her more insight into the role she has taken on.
Over the past few years, I have also thought a lot about my Mother, who spent the last few years of her life in a wheelchair with MS, passing away at the age of 48. I saw how she handled her illness with grace and dignity.
I had never felt comfortable in social settings, always having work on my mind, but as I lost energy and brain power, I stayed engaged with our Tim Hortons coffee group through humour and jokes. My wife, being a lady of great faith in the power of prayer and miracles, responds in kind to my brand of humour. Her motto is “where there’s life, there’s hope!!” Her positive attitude has lifted me up, and my humour has sparked in her a talent for witty comebacks – so she is my “comeback queen.” Several times a day, laughter breaks out at these exchanges between us.
As most of our family and close friends are at a distance, we have mainly depended on each other for support, and with our recent move have lost those neighbours who were available to help us occasionally. In our new place, we still go to Timmies twice a day and meet many new people to talk to and laugh with.
We enjoy spending time watching nature shows about animals, plants and the oceans, as well as astronomy and the planets. It’s a time that we can both relax, exchange ideas and express appreciation for our world, our place in it and our contribution to it – and our appreciation for each other!!
