This Portland teacher would not let ALS stop her from cooking - what happened next will restore your faith in humanity
by Tali Saar
“I reached out for help in my time of need, after being diagnosed with ALS at only 28 years old - I suddenly no longer felt alone.”
Rachel Doboga, 28, recently moved to NW Portland with her husband and their dog, and was teaching English up until recently, when she was diagnosed with ALS - a progressive neurological disease that causes muscle weakness and gradually impacts the functioning of the body. Forced to quit her job and stay at home, Rachel sought new ways to channel her creative energies and soon fell in love with cooking. But cooking on her own was less than satisfying, and became challenging when handling heavy pots and pans.
That’s when Rachel stumbled onto the Rooster website, where a community of Portland neighbors has formed with the sole purpose of helping, sharing and supporting one another in their everyday lives. The Rooster community formed in Portland only a couple of months before, but already had more than 5,000 members on it. Within the community, members ask for things they need or offer things they can give or do for one another - while everything is done for free, in the spirit of paying it forward.
Nervous at first, Rachel decided to post a request for cooking partners, who could help her get things done in the kitchen while she taught them her favorite recipes. What happened next, she said, left her “totally floored”.
Hello, fellow Roosters. I am 28 and have ALS. I love to cook, but my disease has made me weak. I can still chop vegetables and stir, but I cannot open cans or jars, and I am unable to lift full pots, pans, or dishes. My husband used to help me, but now he works very long hours and I struggle to feed myself. Come cook with me, share a great vegetarian meal in payment, and help me eat fresh!
Below are some of my favorite meals. I would love to try your recipes, too!
Soon after posting her request, several responses came in, and they soon turned into a flood of outpouring support from her neighbors. Within hours, Rachel’s post became the most popular one on Rooster, with over 50 neighbors reaching out to offer a helping hand. Rachel has been having multiple cooking dates every week ever since (including one with a professional chef!), and has formed amazing new friendships.
Would you like to say anything to other Portland Rooster community members?
Rachel: First of all, thank you. They’ve been amazing. I was kind of nervous to post something like that, asking someone to come over and dedicate their time and energy to me. But now I want to say - if you have an idea for an activity just go for it, because people on Rooster really want to meet each other. No one joined for selfish reasons, we all joined for each other. This is my first month not teaching so meeting all these people and staying busy really helps.
One of the responders to Rachel’s post was Karen Wehrman, a professional chef and realtor. “It’s been fun and amazing and I learned a lot from Karen, she really blew my mind. She is a total genius in the kitchen, and taught me how to whip up amazing appetizers with zero effort from basic ingredients I had around. I’m eager to pay that forward and show people who come cook with me the things I have learned from her. Rooster is an amazing social network - it’s better than facebook or craigslist because everyone has that huge central thing in common, that they want to share and build a live community.”
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