We are saddened by the loss of long-time Wilderness Inquiry adventurer Sarah Hale. We sincerely admire her determination in the face of disease and her commitment to helping others with ataxia through her work with the National Ataxia Foundation. With permission, we’re posting an abridged version of her memorial written by her sister.
By: Helena Mbele-Mbong
This is a tribute to my sister, Sarah Elizabeth Hale, who died of complications due to ataxia in December 2016, aged 67. It is also a tribute to the National Ataxia Foundation and to Wilderness Inquiry, both of which made a significant contribution to the quality of her life in her last eight years.
We’re six kids, but Sarah is my only sister, six years younger than me. We were raised with a love for camping, nature, and a genuine interest in other people. Sarah took on all this and more. She had a zest for life and a love of adventure. She enjoyed people and was just plain fun to be around. She was also a determined person, and could be very stubborn – which served her well in the end.
She often went camping, with a brother if one was available, otherwise with friends or on her own. In about 2008, she started having trouble keeping balance and her handwriting wasn’t as neat as it usually was. Needless to say, this was of concern, but a first visit to a neurologist was not helpful. A friend at work suggested she look at the National Ataxia Foundation (NAF) website. She also discovered one of two major ataxia research centers is at the University of Minnesota, so she made an appointment. When the doctor announced that, “Yes, you have ataxia”, I’m sure it’s the only time a patient reacted by chuckling. The next thing we did was go up to the North Shore to go snowshoeing.
Sarah became a member of NAF and read everything she could find on ataxia. For the next several years she attended the annual conference of NAF, which is both highly scientific and very helpful for those with, or helping those with, ataxia. She always had a team at the annual “Walk, Stroll n’ Roll”, even when she could no longer go herself. She followed the research, and participated when she could, believing that though it would be too late to help her, it might help others in the future.
A week after the diagnosis the pre-service program at church was on “the importance of inclusivity.” It was someone from Wilderness Inquiry, a Minneapolis-based canoe and camping outfitter that specializes in taking handicapped people – people challenged in all kinds of ways. They even had ataxia on their list. “Good,” said Sarah, “I don’t have to give up camping.” Over the next few years she went on day canoe trips on the Mississippi, week-long canoe trips in the Boundary Waters and Voyageurs National Park, and dog sledding in the Boundary Waters during winter. She organized a special trip with them around Apostle Islands for our extended family, while she could still pass the tip test, which is one of the best things we’ve done together. Being able to make these trips meant a great deal to her, and was also another source of deep friendships.
Through it all, she never lost her determination, her zest for life, or her wonderful sense of humor – all of which was infectious, and many of us are the richer for it.
The National Ataxia Foundation and Wilderness Inquiry, and friends she met through them, added a lot to her last years of life. She requested that donations in her memory be made to them, for others to benefit as she had.
National Ataxia Foundation, 2600 Fernbrook Lane, Suite 119, Minneapolis, MN 55447
Wilderness Inquiry, 808 14th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Margo says
Thank you