Page 28 - 2021 Winter CMTA Report

Former Pastor Spreads the Word about CMT

BY MARCIA SEMMES In elementary and middle After David was diagnosed,
school, PE teachers told him he he learned that his cousin in Cal-
hen David Loy and
just wasn’t trying. He was picked ifornia also had CMT. In 2011,
his wife Cathy give
last, or not at all, for teams, and she directed him to the CMTA
to the CMTA, they
the other kids made fun of him. website for more information,
are giving not for
That finally changed in high which eventually led him, one
W themselves, but for
school. One teacher saw some- “wonderful day,” to the newly
future generations. “At 64 years
thing others did not and brought opened clinic of Dr. Michael Shy.
old, I may not see the cure in
him into the theater department, There he received wonderful
time to help me, but I do not
where he found a place he could care, benefited from Dr. Shy’s
want another child to go through
both excel and hide. vast knowledge of CMT, had a
the ridicule, snubbing and multi-
After graduating from col- DNA study to confirm that he
ple misdiagnoses that I did when
lege with a business degree, had CMT1A and took part in a
I was young,” he says.
David began working in the clinical trial.
David’s road to diagnosis
telecommunications industry, Seeing Dr. Shy made him
was full of twists and turns. Born
then moved to the educational realize, he says, that the CMTA
in Iowa in 1956, he says it was
testing field. After that, he “took “was not just a source of reliable
apparent early on that some-
a left turn” into non-profit work information, but also the leading
thing was not right: He couldn’t
as the full-time pastor of Com- organization in the fight to find
run, his feet were misshapen and
munity of Christ in Cedar the cure.” Since that time, he and
he was always in pain. But doc-
Rapids, Iowa. When the reces- Cathy have tried to give what
tors had no answers for his
sion hit in 2008, he became the they can for this fight and to
issues and often told his parents
executive director of a non-profit encourage others to do the same.
that it was all in his head.
that worked with families whose David is aware that the
children had been taken away search for a cure for any disease
because of addiction and neglect. is a slow process with many
David’s last career move was to medical and legal hurdles, but
United Way of East Central he thinks the CMTA’s search
Iowa, where he was a financial “is moving at a steady and often
manager. He retired on disability breakneck pace in comparison to
in 2015. other diseases.” That’s why he
David’s wife Cathy has gives and that’s why he spreads
accompanied him on his CMT the word about the disease,
journey since they sporting a shark and
married in 1979. The CMTA is nerve tattoo that
Luckily for him, she “not just a source provides an easy
was a nurse and for reliable opening to tell
encouraged him to information, anyone who asks
look for a diagnosis, but also the leading about CMT.
but answers were organization in The former pas-
still few and far the fight to find tor is still preaching
between. Not until the cure.” these days, but now
1993 did he finally his sermon is about
find out what was wrong, and CMT. There are many places to
then only by chance. He went to put your money, he says, but this
the Mayo Clinic for an eye prob- crippling disease will be cured
lem and while he was there, a within a very reasonable time.
doctor took a look at his feet and “Great advancements have been
said that he needed to have a made,” he says, adding “Wouldn’t
neurologist do an EMG. The you like to say you helped
David Loy EMG confirmed CMT. eliminate it from this world?” k

28 THE CMTA REPORT WINTER 2021