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After his eight-year NFL career playing defensive end and linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons, Tim Green became a broadcaster, lawyer, and best-selling author for middle grade readers. He has written 40 books, visited over 1,500 schools, and used speaking fees to buy books for under-resourced schools and libraries.
Tim Green was diagnosed with ALS in 2016. He announced his diagnosis publicly in November 2018 and discussed his life and challenges on CBS's 60 Minutes. Tim’s fundraising website, Tackle ALS, has raised over $5 million for ALS research. |
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Your ALS Guide interviewed Tim Green in August 2021 about his book, writing process, ventilation, approach to living with ALS, advice for others with ALS, and more.
Tell us about Final Season and why you decided to write this book.
I'm always searching for stories for kids that are dramatic, fast paced, populated with rich characters, and action packed. Normally, I mine these stories from my imagination. This time, the story jumped out at me from the events in my own life, and I just had to write about it. Over the course of a football season, the main character who is the team's quarterback has to come to grips with his father's ALS diagnosis while chasing an elusive championship.
Was writing about ALS difficult or therapeutic?
I'd have to say that it was more difficult than therapeutic. I don't like to dwell on the past, especially now. I need to look forward and live in the day.
Did you want to raise awareness about ALS with this book?
Oh, I definitely wanted to raise awareness with this story. I am donating all of the proceeds from this book to Tackle ALS for cutting edge research.
Without being able to speak or type, can you explain how you wrote this book?
Yes, I have a Tobii Dynavox EyeMobile Plus device attached to the bottom of a Microsoft tablet. This device allows me to gaze at letters on a keyboard and slowly type my books, or answer questions like this one.
Can you share any advice for people who will need to use eye-tracking technology?
Bring a patient attitude. The device gets upgraded and therefore better by the month, but they are temperamental. One minute the device can be working well, and the next minute you find yourself going over and over the same word or phrase to get it right. But if you persevere the world remains open to you.
What has the role of writing been in your life, both before and after your diagnosis?
Writing is a major part of my life. I always have a manuscript waiting for me. I always dreamed of becoming a writer and am grateful to have an audience to write for. The process takes me away to another time and place, and when I'm writing it's the same state as before I was diagnosed. So, it was and is an essential part of my life and I'm grateful for the technology that allows me to continue to do it.
What else has given you purpose and meaning post diagnosis?
My family, watching them live and grow, especially my five grandkids who I see almost daily, and watching my kids being parents themselves. I'm also committed to raising money through Tackle ALS for cutting edge research and patient care.
“When you take things by the day it allows you to appreciate things like you never have before, big things like a sunset or a child, and small things, like a song on the radio, or a kiss. Each day is a gift.”
Have you developed a personal philosophy that has helped you make the best of your situation?
Keep Grinding. I have always been a grinder, in the classroom, on the football field, in writing, business, and law. Nothing has come easy, and this won't be easy either. So, I'll keep my head down and plow ahead, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute if I must. When you take things by the day it allows you to appreciate things like you never have before, big things like a sunset or a child, and small things, like a song on the radio, or a kiss. Each day is a gift.
How has your family adjusted over time to your changing reality?
They have adjusted well. I am proud of them. You would think by the way they act that I'd always been this way.
Was it hard to start accepting help after being so strong and independent?
Very hard. It still is. I find myself thinking I will reach for the TV remote or go to scratch my face, and then I realize that I can't. I think my advice goes back to grinding. You have to endure. Personally, I believe that before I die, they will find a cure, and I will be able to claw back to a normal existence. If not, I am a Christian, and I believe in a life everlasting where I will walk again.
In Final Season, the dad initially didn’t want a tracheotomy but then changed his mind. Was that similar to your experience? Why did you choose to extend your life with ventilation?
The tracheostomy experience was exactly from my own experience. My son, Troy said to me, "We don't need your body, but we do need your brain." And I thought of our youngest son, Ty, and that I owed it to him to be around, if I could, for his high school graduation, or college graduation, and for our youngest daughter, to maybe see her get married. Suddenly it wasn't about me, it was about them.
And this is where some of the grinding comes in. It's really not that bad! It takes some getting used to, no doubt, but if you take it a day at a time, or a minute at a time, you get through it, you adapt. One plus is that you can finally breathe. My family and friends say that I look 100% better than I did, and I have five times the energy. It's still difficult speaking through a communication device, it's slow, but it forces you to choose your words carefully, and you get to stop and take back hurtful or contentious things before you say them!
And this is where some of the grinding comes in. It's really not that bad! It takes some getting used to, no doubt, but if you take it a day at a time, or a minute at a time, you get through it, you adapt. One plus is that you can finally breathe. My family and friends say that I look 100% better than I did, and I have five times the energy. It's still difficult speaking through a communication device, it's slow, but it forces you to choose your words carefully, and you get to stop and take back hurtful or contentious things before you say them!
Do you have any advice for someone who has been newly diagnosed or is struggling with the progression of the disease?
ALS is overwhelming for all of us. If you're crippled by anxiety or depression, don't be afraid to seek professional help, and don't wait to get help! I know mental health has a stigma. As a former NFL player, I used to scoff at the thought of my own mental health problems. Like everyone else who thinks seeking help is a weakness, I was wrong. It actually takes strength to seek help because of the stigma.
The other advice I have, and I know not to bring up politics or religion, but you asked, so I'll tell you my story, and the peace I found. I was a casual Christian when I got sick, but death is a very real prospect for someone with ALS, so I began to think about my faith. I began reading the Bible which I never really did before. Suddenly I became attuned to all the people who were praying for me. They were all friends who I admired for their peaceful demeanors. Some are Jewish, some Hindu, some Muslim, some Christian. Being a Christian, I went down that path, further than ever before, where the Truth was, the Grace of God, the self-sacrifice of Christ Jesus, and the forgiveness of sins because of that sacrifice. It's a gift from our Creator. All we have to do is take it, so I did. Then, the Lord lifted his face to shine upon me and granted me peace. Amen, and Amen.
The other advice I have, and I know not to bring up politics or religion, but you asked, so I'll tell you my story, and the peace I found. I was a casual Christian when I got sick, but death is a very real prospect for someone with ALS, so I began to think about my faith. I began reading the Bible which I never really did before. Suddenly I became attuned to all the people who were praying for me. They were all friends who I admired for their peaceful demeanors. Some are Jewish, some Hindu, some Muslim, some Christian. Being a Christian, I went down that path, further than ever before, where the Truth was, the Grace of God, the self-sacrifice of Christ Jesus, and the forgiveness of sins because of that sacrifice. It's a gift from our Creator. All we have to do is take it, so I did. Then, the Lord lifted his face to shine upon me and granted me peace. Amen, and Amen.
Tim Green's Latest BookFinal Season is a novel for middle grade readers about a father who is diagnosed with ALS while coaching his son's youth football team. Largely based on real-life events, this engaging story explores how young people cope when a parent is diagnosed with a serious disease like ALS.
Final Season was published on September 14, 2021 and has received starred reviews. To purchase Final Season and learn more about Tim Green's other books, visit his website at www.timgreenbooks.com. |
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