My Childhood Crush Has ALS

Young, adorably embarrassing Casey McKinnon.

The boy in the North Shore jacket was the cutest boy in all of Dollard-des-Ormeaux.

While the other girls in my school were busy fighting over which New Kids on the Block member they liked most and fawning over the lyrics to Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting," I was busy embarrassing myself over that cute boy in the North Shore jacket.

The other girls in my class teased me relentlessly about it, shouting his name and then hiding behind me, or calling his parents' house and handing me the phone, but I embarrassed myself the most.

Like REALLY embarrassed myself. More humiliating than that scene from Forever Young where Elijah Wood serenades a girl with "You Are My Sunshine." That was adorable. No, no... I can't imagine any of my actions were ever that endearing.

There was the time in grade 5 when I choreographed a dance routine and modded the lyrics to obscure 1950s song "Pink Shoelaces" to express my admiration in the schoolyard during recess. If you want a better mental image, the chorus went "He wore Converse, with white shoe laces, a North Shore jacket, and man-oh-man!"

Then there was the time when his cool older brother came to visit our elementary school and we break danced outside the gym; I did a sweet headspin which was probably waaay cooler in my mind than it ever was in reality.

Oh, and there was that other time in junior high school when my friends got me to sing "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid while he was watching. I was mortified, but I did it because, y'know, peer pressure and all.

Needless to say, there were many other moments of dorkery that I have tried to forget over the years.

So, when my sister texted me at 6:24am last week to tell me that Dean Stock was diagnosed with ALS, it all came flooding back to me.

I feel terrible for the struggle Dean will face and moved by the support he's getting from his family, especially that cool older brother of his, PJ Stock. I wish him the absolute best treatment and I will be crossing my fingers for a cure. To help, I'm donating to the ALS Society of Quebec in support of Team Stock. My eleven year old self would have wanted me to. 

Join me by donating here: TeamStock.ca