Cathy Cray VerHey's ALS fight

I'm Eric VerHey,  you may know me as the youngest of the VerHey kids from Texas Corners, MI. I followed in my father's footsteps and have been a career educator in Portage Public Schools (MI) for 25 years. Currently I'm a Science teacher at Portage Central Middle school,  wrestling coach at PCHS and serving in my eleventh year as the president of the Portage Education Association. I'm the youngest of 5 kids born to Tony and Gisela VerHey.  Recently our family got hit with the devasting news that my brother's wife, Cathy (Cray) VerHey, an Otsego HS graduate, (pictured above with my older brother Tony) has a confirmed diagnosis of Bulbar amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It is aggressively ravaging her body taking a toll on her ability to walk, talk, and swallow. ALS killed Cathy's father and grandfather. Cathy is only 49, and been a life long hard worker for a variety of businesses while currently also a student at KVCC where she keeps working towards a May graduation. Cathy is the mother of three awesome children! The youngest, Anthony, is an avid hunter, fisherman and  high school freshman. Ashley, their middle child, is a college student and champion barrel racer at the KalVal horse shows. Their oldest, Sarah, recently got engaged and is working on a veterinary degree at MSU. It is devastating to think that it is improbable Cathy will live long enough to see Anthony graduate or Sarah complete vet school. They are a humble, proud, hard-working family but they will need financial support to get through this ordeal. I have set a goal that would assist them with a year's payments toward mortgage, mounting bills, and assist to offset her inability to work and contribute as much as she has throughout her career.  Hopefully, this summer, Cathy will be healthy enough to  experience Mackinac Island for the first time. Cathy and Tony do not have deep pockets, but they have a deep love for their family, nature and pride in self sufficiency. This  fundraiser is an experience in humility  as the family is facing sobering realities and needs to ask for assistance. But knowing she is diagnosed 'terminal', with little time, our family would like to provide her peace of mind that her children and husband will have some financial support to face the costs in the months ahead when Cathy is too ill to assist, or no longer with us. Thank you for any contribution you may choose to make and for passing on her story via email, social media or word of mouth.