Sean Lineaweaver
In Honor and Memory of Sean Lineaweaver
It was 1995, and Sean had just entered into a biomed program to launch his NASA engineering background into building new opportunities for those living with chronic conditions. While studying, he noticed that his vision was fogging oddly. It became difficult to work long hours, and sometimes his gait wobbled. After getting a full work-up, his doctor didn’t mince words.
Due to a diagnosis of MS, the doctor recommended dropping out of his program, and moving back in with his parents.
At 26 years old, Sean, a somewhat misanthropic, iconoclastic quipster and MENSA member, saw this as a direct challenge. With no small amount of moralistic fury and determination, he chiseled his already strong will into a fine point with which to finish what he had started.
His wife, Amy Lineaweaver recollects, “He was motivated by justice. At his core, he felt his diagnosis was unjust. But he didn’t want others to suffer the same. He felt so thwarted–enraged by the injustice of not having your body work the same way as others.”
If science was Sean’s religion, then serving others became his communion. Discovery was his nirvana. It became a life-long mission to provide access to people with disabilities, resulting in 42 patents for technologies that aided the hearing impaired. He loved being a scientist, as he could retain his irreverent humor and conduct his work with purpose.
Impatient, probing, and driven, Sean ritualistically pushed against his physical limitations to fulfill his purpose. He was involved in many MS studies, traditional and experimental, naturopathic and conventional medicine. He pursued rigorous diet and exercise regimens.
“He maintained a diet that he was convinced would make all the difference, but acknowledged that the double blind wasn’t available,” says Amy.
At Rocky Mountain MS center in Denver, he saw in his neurologists a group that would speak to him in a way he could receive and respect. Amy remembers that during this time, “He would play with the idea of his mortality a lot, and was ultimately clear. He heard that his Doctor was procuring tissues for research, and out of respect for his doctor, the science, and his own legacy, he wanted to participate in the National MS Brain Bank.”
Sean enjoyed a long career at Cochlear that sometimes resulted in international travel. Curious and adventurous, Sean would take on work trips with gusto. Eventually though, MS caught up with him.
“It was always really scary.” Says Amy. “I’d be sitting in Denver and get a call from Stockholm saying he cracked his eyebrow on an aquarium in a restaurant. It was a result of him working to the point of failure. He was fearless. It’s what enabled him to make such advances in technology.”
As his condition deteriorated, Sean's family came together to support him, referring to themselves as his "Pit Crew."
“The 3 of us all operated with frenzy. We were always anticipating a fall, a loss of stamina… The good thing and the bad thing about Sean is he constantly worked to the point where he couldn’t. The kids learned that they would have to be on standby for their dad from a young age.”
“For my 9th bday, we went to a Nuggets game,” recalls Aidan. I had such a good time, we got season tickets for the following year. Going to those games, knowing how hard it was for him. . . I was afraid he wouldn’t be able to get out with a crowd, so we’d leave at the 3rd inning. It meant everything that he showed up in that way for me.”
Aidan recalls his father’s dedication to his interests and hobbies. “He would become an overnight expert on whatever topic–it didn’t matter what his interests were, he wanted to show up by learning everything about what we wanted to learn about.” Aidan shares his father's impetus for fighting injustice and is currently attending law school. He intends to use his legal education to advocate for the most vulnerable members of our society.
“Whenever I expressed or implied interest in a hobby, he would already have materials, toys, or information ready for me.” Says daughter, Catherine, who is studying to be an engineer. “What's really upsetting is that I can't share with him how common we really are. . . One of the main things that speaks to me everyday about my father was his drive.” She reflects. “In awe of my father, I strive to do all the things that I ‘can’t’, to get back on the horse, even stronger and more confident. I strive to do the difficult, thanks to him.”
“His life was really really big,” says Amy. “The fact that he did it despite feeling like hot garbage, it was almost out of spite. His work ethic and belief in himself gave him a lot of gas in his tank to keep going. He never believed that he couldn’t.”
