 In December, we told you about J.P. Whalen and his battle against ALS, becoming the first person in Minnesota to obtain the Radhikava drug for ALS treatment. Tonight, J.P. was honored by his employer as he officially retires and moves on to becoming an ALS advocate. Neisterman Associates in Baxter honored Whalen for his nine years of service in the psychiatry field. Whalen says the retirement is not the last of him and he is ready for his new role as ALS advocate. I'm up against a big pharmaceutical and I want to change some of the things that they're doing with this new medication and I'm also going to be dealing probably with the FDA because I'm looking for off-label dosing prior to the end of the clinical trials they're doing because it's been helping me so I'm going to try to advocate for myself and then when I'm done with that, I want to continue the advocacy role whether it's with seniors, people with disabilities, just people stuck in the medical system as well. Whalen was diagnosed with ALS in December of 2015. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.