ALS Lou Gehrig's disease: A battle for life

Hi my name is Nora Moore. My mother is in a fight for her life and I can no longer do this on my own.

I decided to start this GOFUNDME for my mother, Marina Miller, who, in April of 2020, shortly after recovering from a broken hip, was diagnosed with Lou Gehring's disease (medically known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS). ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It, unfortunately, has no cure. It is a progressive disease, which means it will continue to get worse as the days go by. Her muscles have gotten weaker, she can no longer walk or even stand for more than a couple of seconds, which is usually just when I am transferring her from wheelchair to chair, bed, or the bathroom. Eventually, she will no longer be able to speak, eat or breathe without assistance. We are not there yet, thankfully. Right now, it's about getting her everything she needs to make it a little easier for her to get around and to make sure she can receive the medication she needs. One of the ALS treatments is Radicava. It's done through IV. The first 2 weeks she will need to be in Dallas, TX. to receive daily treatment, then it will be once every 2 weeks for the remainder of her life, or until she can tolerate it. Treatment for this medication is listed at $1k per infusion, $11k per dosage cycle, which amounts to $146k per year. We are trying to get assistance from the drug manufacturer but haven't heard anything back as of yet.

My mom is a fantastic human being that has given assistance to others when they've needed it, even when she didn't have much to give. She has worked hard her entire life and had always been extremely strong, both mentally and physically, but this disease is uncaring and extremely aggressive. ALS has taken a strong, independent woman, who has never asked anyone for help, and made her dependent on others, taken her ability to walk and even eat without assistance and, of course, caused massive depression, though she tries hard to smile for others.

I have tried buying the various things my mom has needed, such as railings for the bed, a new mattress that isn't as high up, rails for the bathroom, a regular wheelchair, etc. However, as the ALS is progressing, she is needing different things. My mother is no longer working. Her disability payments have stopped. This is, along with all the expenses coming our way, what has finally made me decide to do this GoFundMe for her. She is now needing, and has gotten fitted for an electric wheelchair, which runs around $8000, without all the bells and whistles. Eventually, she will need to add on those other items to the wheelchair, which the company said they can do without issue, but it is costly every time they add to it. This GoFundMe will help her with the following:

Please let's get the word out! We had put this off because we don't like asking for help, but the funds have run out and it has become urgent, as she needs more treatment and she needs to be able to get around.

So, please, please share, share & share with everyone you know.

Share with friends, neighbors, fellow church goers, pastors, and/or anyone you think might help.

Please share this link to your Facebook, Twitter, and/or all the other platforms out there.

Thank you for reading. You have my and of course, my mother's sincerest appreciation and gratitude for any assistance you can provide. Any little bit adds up.