ALS Fundraiser for Rebecca Shaver

Hi. My name is Alexander. My mother, Rebecca Shaver, was recently diagnosed with ALS. ALS - or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) - is a motor neuron disease that gradually paralyzes people because the brain is no longer able to communicate with the muscles of the body that we are typically able to move at will. Over time, as the muscles of the body break down, someone living with ALS will lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, swallow, and eventually breathe. There is no cure for ALS and few treatment options exist for the majority of people living with the disease. Approximately 80% of people with ALS die within two to five years of being diagnosed. 10 years is considered to be an exceptional life expectancy for patients diagnosed with ALS.

I've spent the last 21 months watching my mother's condition slowly deteriorate. I first noticed her foot drop during Thanksgiving of 2020. Her mobility began to worsen soon afterward. In a matter of months, she went from being able to run and walk normally to being confined to a walker. Her symptoms became more noticeable soon thereafter. Her walker quickly became troublesome. Falls became a frequent occurrence in her home. The bruises on her arms and legs were regularly visible and distressing. Over the past nine months, her symptoms have become more noticeable than ever. She can no longer eat some of her favorite foods as they cannot be chewed and swallowed properly - this also applies to medications that would improve her quality of life. The walker is no longer the optimal method of assisted mobility. A wheelchair is now required to move her anywhere beyond her home. Showering, dressing, cooking, cleaning, etc. are no longer advisable everyday activities without assistance from outside parties. The list goes on and on...

I won't sugarcoat the reality of my mother's situation. There isn't a cure for her condition. No dollar amount will permanently reverse her condition. That being said, a lot is needed to extend her life and improve her overall quality of life. Medications that cost thousands of dollars after insurance covers their end of the costs could benefit her greatly but are currently unattainable simply due to the dollar figure associated with said medications. A new bed would dramatically improve her ability to sleep, heal, gain energy, and simply breathe. A better wheelchair would grant her more independence inside and outside the home. A handicapped-accessible vehicle would allow her to do more without the assistance of outside parties.

My mother is a wonderful, loving, and caring woman. She endured tremendous trials and tribulations as she raised my sister and me. I cannot provide her with a magic "Cure All" pill to help her, but I can ask for your help to improve her situation for as long as she has left on this Earth. Please think of what you'd ask for - what you'd hope for - what you'd do - the lengths that you'd be willing to go to if your mother was in my mother's shoes.

Thank you.

-- Alexander