Ride For Life: 'Jim's House': a home away from home for ALS patients

WILLISTON, Vt. -- The parents of a man who died from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, have opened a home where ALS suffers can stay while receiving treatment.

Pete and Alphonsine Crevier are offering the home free of charge in memory of their son, Jim Crevier, who died at 41. They are the hosts, and Fletcher Allen Health Care accepts reservations.

About one-third of the ALS patients at Fletcher Allen travel from upstate New York, New Hampshire or Maine.

"The patients get very fatigued and tired from traveling," said Dr. Rup Tandan, director of the ALS Center at Fletcher Allen. "After driving for four or five hours, they are not fresh for their appointments."

The house is about eight miles from Fletcher Allen.

Fletcher Allen sees about 60 ALS patients each year, Tandan said. Other patients with neurological disorders will also be eligible to use the home.

Jim Crevier decided to build his own house after he was diagnosed with ALS in July 1997. He designed the home on his computer and built it with ramps and elevators.

"He was very concerned about not having anything to leave behind. No legacy," said Arthur Goodwin, who helped Crevier build the house.

"He knew he was terminally ill. He wanted a place to spend his final days and not be a burden on his folks," Goodwin said. "And he wanted this to be a place others could make use of when he's gone."

"He knew himself what he was going through and thought this would probably be the only way he could help others," said Alphonsine Crevier, Jim's mother.

Accommodations are made for patients and caregivers only. Jim's parents and volunteers will be on hand to help out and cook.

"This will be at no charge and I'm just looking forward to cooking breakfast," said Pete Crevier, Jim's father, who acted as the hands and voice for him as his body failed him. Jim Crevier lived in the two-bedroom house a year and a half before he died Jan. 19, 2001.

Two newspaper clippings hang on the wall. One quotes Crevier on his favorite hobby, para-sailing. The other describes his job as an electric scoreboard builder and repairer. The article estimated Crevier installed or serviced 90 percent of the scoreboards in the state before he was diagnosed with ALS.

Since June, the home has been the meeting place for the northern Vermont ALS support group. Next week, it will host its first ALS patient for an overnight stay.