Ken's ALS Fight

Hey all, my name is Rebecca Rieder. I'm from Germantown, Wisconsin, and am currently attending UW-Madison as an English major. My father is Kenneth Rieder, and he is why I'm writing to you today. 

For the past year, he has had many health struggles. Walking became difficult, he began dropping things often, and his overall strength began to decline. In June of 2015 he had a spinal surgery done in hopes to help his walking. The surgery was not without complications. He developed a pulminary embolism, and the surgery did not help his health in any way.  As of now, if he walks he must do so with a walker, and his hand strength has declined to the point that he can barely feed himself. 

On Monday, February 1st, his 50th birthday, he was officially diagnosed with ALS by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. This has been an extremely difficult past year, and is now harder than ever. While my family and I attempt to come to terms with this diagnosis, there are many things that we need to take care of.

One of the most pressing concerns at this time are my dad's medical bills. This includes, but is not limited to, his physical therapy, speech therapy, the week long testing performed by the Mayo Clinic, and installing ramping at our house for when he will be required to be in a wheel chair. 

The time we have been given with my dad is extremely precious to all of us. While it may not be as long as we hoped, we are trying to make the best of it and putting our faith in God, family, and friends to help us through. 

Any donation, thought, or prayer would mean everything to my family during this difficult time. 
**All donations are placed in my mother's name, Cindy Rieder, due to my parents sharing a checking account**