From:ALS Association
Date:August 23, 2004
By Gary Wosk
Playing the ALS-stricken lawyer Alvin Masterson on the CBS show. "The Guardian" changed the real life of actor Alan Rosenberg, a familiar face on TV for 30 years.
The 53-year-old Rosenberg, known for his roles on such popular TV series as "L.A. Law,"㈢"Cybill"㈢"Chicago Hope"焾"Touched by an Angel"焝"Murphy Brown"℞"ER" arnaby Jones,countless TV movies, films and stage productions, directed the episode of "The Guardianon" which his character informs a child advocacy center associate that he has ALS.
He played good guys and bad guys, and now he definitely a hero in the eyes of The ALS Association and thousands upon thousands of ALS patients across the United States.
Rosenberg has become a ?⊆ebel with a cause??for ALSA as a spokesperson and a devoted friend to a person with the disease, a single woman with no children.
A self-proclaimed 1960's peace activist who would like government to allocate more funding for the research and cure of this disease, Rosenberg decided to resurrect his role as activist for ALSA after visiting with ALS patients at ALSA?塜 national headquarters in Calabasas, Calif., last March, to prepare for the role.
He came away from that encounter with more than just bundles of reading materials, videos, and feeling touched by the many courageous stories told to him ???㈨ was incredibly moved by them, by their bravery.??He decided to become involved with ALSA and became good friends with ALS patient Denise Glass, a volunteer at the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of The ALS Association.
His friendship with the Westlake Village, Calif., resident and former executive assistant for CEOs of large corporations continues to inspire Rosenberg?塜 fight against ALS.
?㈣enise Glass is a very good friend of mine. She is a marvelous person,?? Rosenberg said, a day before they were to have lunch together. ?㈨ care very deeply about what happens to her.??/P>
Because of Glass, Rosenberg, a resident of Santa Monica, where he lives in a warm and cozy home with his Emmy award-winning wife, Marg Helgenberger of the hit CBS series ?㈢SI,??soon-to-be 14-year-old son, Hughie, and dog Mo-Mo, decided to participate in National ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference in Washington D.C. last May.
?焫nce I met the people of ALSA I wasn?塟 going to walk away from that,?? Rosenberg said. ?㈨ realized there was a real need there. I don?塟 know how someone can avail themselves of someone else?塜 generosity and not give something back.??/P>
Glass, 47, was diagnosed with ALS three years ago and is grateful to Rosenberg for reaching out to her and ALSA.?㈠lan is a fun, easygoing person with a big heart,??said Glass, gradually losing steadiness in her left leg and is finding it difficult to grasp things with her left hand. ?㈨t is hard not to think of him as a big brother. When we are together at an event, we will make plans to get together to do something fun for the future."
?煫hen I met with Alan, a new friendship in my life began. Alan explained why he was at the national office and I was impressed to see that he was truly interested to learn about ALS, besides portraying it in the television show ?鲴he Guardian.??That was when I knew he would be a great advocate for The ALS Association on a national and local chapter level. He listened intently while Mike Gagner, another ALS patient, and I told our stories about how ALS has affected our lives. The stories were happy and sad.
?㈣uring the four hours that we talked, I mentioned that I was going to Washington, D.C. in May for Advocacy Day to meet with different members of Congress to ask them to continue funding for research through the Department of Defense, amend the Social Security Act and increase funding in the National Institutes of Health budget for 2004. I asked if he would like to attend, and he obliged.
?⇨t was very exciting to have Alan attend Advocacy Day and watch him advocate for all of us PALS (People With ALS). When Alan arrived from Los Angeles to attend the Celebration of Excellence Reception in D.C., I introduced him to the PALS and their families in attendance. To see the look on the PALS??faces, to meet a celebrity such as Alan, and for him to listen intently to their every story, it was worth a million dollars.
?焅ittle does he know, he inspires me to keep going because he has said to me, ?齄here are PALS out there that can?塟 do the work you are doing and you can, so you need to keep up your advocacy work in their honor.??I feel the two of us inspire each other to keep going.??/P>
Glass and Rosenberg often speak on the phone and ?燫ave been doing a lot of fun things together,??including having dinner with the actor and Marg and visiting the set of ?焩YPD Blue.??/P>
?煫hen Alan asks how I am doing, it is hard at times not to cry when I tell him the latest change that has occurred or what I cannot do because of ALS and he listens with a comforting ear. He is a concerned friend.??/P>
Born in Passaic , New Jersey , the lanky, fit-appearing Rosenberg not only participated in Advocacy Day, but also recently hosted the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of The ALS Association?塜 fundraiser ?㈠ Time to Care??held at the Playboy Mansion , which honored outstanding local and national philanthropists as well as longtime supporters, and raised $575,000. At the gala event, the Chapter presented Rosenberg with the ?焻potlight for Increasing Awareness Award??for the ?焾he Guardian??portrayal of a character living with ALS. He also hosted the Chapter?塜 ?㈠uthentic Swing Charity Golf Tournament.??/P>
Both Rosenberg and Helgenberger are members of the Chapter.
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