Bryan's ALS Fight
Donation protected
I’m Bryan, I am 49, and I have recently been diagnosed with ALS. Some of you know me and some of you don’t. I am seeking your help for medical costs and care. You may know ALS better as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the great athlete who was felled by the disease in 1941. Hopefully you also know of ALS through the “Ice Bucket” challenges that are occurring worldwide to raise money to finally break the code to the cure. These amazing events have raised millions of dollars that are funding clinical trials at an unprecedented rate. There is reason for great optimism now as we close in on effective treatments and a cure. I am fighting hard– with every possible resource – to stay healthy, to be able to take advantage of these medical science advances.
There is only one FDA- approved drug that is thought to slow down the progression slightly. I take it. That is all that is currently available to me and all other ALS patients 76 years after Lou Gehrig died of the same disease. If you mention ALS to anyone, you will learn that everyone knows someone with ALS. It's not as rare as you may think but FDA treatment is practically non-existent.
So, after careful research, I am also using several integrative therapies that have shown promise in clinics outside the US. These therapies are now beginning to be available in the United States. They have to be a part of my fight. The treatments can cost thousands of dollars a month. I am not able to work, and, therefore, have lost my income.
Of perhaps even greater importance is the fact that I am a single parent. With the loving assistance of my childrens' grandparents we are raising my two teen-aged children. They are incredible kids; they are my whole life; I need to be with them at my home in Louisville, KY.
If ALS does proceed, I will not be physically able to care for myself. My parents and brother live 700 miles away. Although they are and will continue to be my main support system, my everyday basic needs will have to be met with professional services. My home will require adaptation or else I will have to move.
It’s not easy to ask for financial assistance but I believe I have to try to live… for myself, for my children and for ALS patients everywhere. Please contribute as much as you can, and spread the word. Personally I will be forever grateful. There aren’t words large enough to say THANK YOU!
There is only one FDA- approved drug that is thought to slow down the progression slightly. I take it. That is all that is currently available to me and all other ALS patients 76 years after Lou Gehrig died of the same disease. If you mention ALS to anyone, you will learn that everyone knows someone with ALS. It's not as rare as you may think but FDA treatment is practically non-existent.
So, after careful research, I am also using several integrative therapies that have shown promise in clinics outside the US. These therapies are now beginning to be available in the United States. They have to be a part of my fight. The treatments can cost thousands of dollars a month. I am not able to work, and, therefore, have lost my income.
Of perhaps even greater importance is the fact that I am a single parent. With the loving assistance of my childrens' grandparents we are raising my two teen-aged children. They are incredible kids; they are my whole life; I need to be with them at my home in Louisville, KY.
If ALS does proceed, I will not be physically able to care for myself. My parents and brother live 700 miles away. Although they are and will continue to be my main support system, my everyday basic needs will have to be met with professional services. My home will require adaptation or else I will have to move.
It’s not easy to ask for financial assistance but I believe I have to try to live… for myself, for my children and for ALS patients everywhere. Please contribute as much as you can, and spread the word. Personally I will be forever grateful. There aren’t words large enough to say THANK YOU!
Organizer
Bryan Pierce
Organizer
Arnold, MD
