Former Sikeston man who has ALS publishes book about his battle

When former Sikeston resident Jeff Lester was diagnosed with ALS, he was 27 and given three years to live. Now, 26 years later, Lester has published a book about his battle with the disease.

Lester grew up in Sikeston, the son of Dr. Larry Lester, a dentist and Marie Lester Weiskircher. He graduated from Sikeston High School in 1985 before attending Southwest Missouri State University, graduating in 1990.

In 1993, Lester was single when a doctor diagnosed him with ALS and told him to go home and plan his funeral, giving him just three years to live. But Lester didn't give up.

In "Living as a Dead Man," Lester tells his story about destroying the life he expected to live and rebuilding a new, more purposeful life out of its ashes.

Weathering massive storms and overcoming insurmountable odds, Lester describes his daily challenges and learning to focus on the blessings in his life instead of what he has lost. He shares the lessons he learned and what is essential to living a happy and fulfilling life with a greater purpose.

After his diagnosis, Lester married and had four daughters, was named the Missouri MDA Person of the Year for his work for the ALS community and graduated with distinction with an MBA and an MS in finance from the University of Michigan-Dearborn's graduate program. He achieved all of this as a quadriplegic on a ventilator.

Sikeston plays a pivotal role in Lester's story, including a moving part that occurs in the Sikeston Field House. He even attributes his growing up in Sikeston to his overcoming the odds presented by ALS.

The editor of the book is Angi Payne Sutton and the artist for the cover is Laura Bartlett Jurica, both graduates of Sikeston High School. And many former and current Sikeston residents also supported the book by becoming patrons to help offset pre-publication costs.

"Living as a Dead Man" is available on Amazon.