ALS Stinks..Community Rocks!

My name is Melanie and I’d like to tell you a bit about the man I love, and the family we share. We met online in the  late 90s.  We lived on opposite coasts and fell in love.  We got married in 2001 and now have two beautiful children ages 10 and 11.  Eric worked loyally for the same company for 20 years until he retired due to illness earlier this year.  

Two years ago, Eric's mother was in the end stages of her battle with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease).  Eric started showing symptoms a year or so earlier and was subsequently diagnosed with this terrible disease himself.  ALS is a progressive neuromuscular disease in which nerve cells die and leave voluntary muscles rendered useless.  There is no cure. Once diagnosed the life expectancy of a person with ALS averages about two to five years.

Eric and I, have two young children ages 10 and 11. Dylan, the youngest, has autism and recently diagnosed with refractory epilepsy. He has been in and out of the hospital in testing and trying to get control of the seizures.  Sophia is a wonderful big sister, and deserves all the ‘normalcy’ that I can provide in this challenging time. As you can imagine, they both need every last ounce of love and attention that Eric and I can give them right now.

Like so many people caring for their loved ones, I must be home to care for my family, and so I am unable to maintain a job.

Thankfully, a supportive community can make all the difference.  My local school, neighborhood community and the ALS Society of BC have been incredibly forthcoming in helping us access all the resources available to us. Still we struggle to balance the reduced income against the increased expenses that come with so many terminal illnesses.

I have started this crowd-funding initiative in the hopes that kind individuals like you will include us in their philanthropy during this season of giving, helping to alleviate some of these financial stresses and allow my family to focus on each other while Eric is with us.

ALS, Autism and Epilepsy can be very challenging and at times hard to manage.  Thank you for your support, prayers and love.