Dad Diagnosed with ALS. Help them Make Memories!

I know you don’t know him. He is a stranger to you. But his story could be yours or someone’s you love. Ten days ago, at age 54, Brett Atwood was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Brett, pictured here with two of his three children, Marshall (17) and Justin (12), is a dear friend of mine and a loving and very involved father. A So Cal boy, Brett grew up surfing. He attended JFK high school in Granada Hills, which is where I met him. After high school, he enlisted in the United States Army. Brett learned early on that, like the ocean, life events come at us in waves. He rode wave after wave of adversity in his youth with the same stiff-upper-lip, positive attitude, and courage with which he faces his and his children’s current challenge and new reality.

If you are considering donating to a worthy cause this holiday season, please consider donating to Brett, so that he and his children can have food on the table, pay the bills, and make some awesome memories together.

Lou Gehrig’s Disease, ALS, is one of the most brutal and heart-breaking diagnoses one can receive. It’s hard enough to come to grips with it as the patient, but to explain it to your children? It is beyond comprehension.

Whether or not you choose to donate, I wish you and your family a happy and healthy holiday season. Please, consider sharing this post.

Sincerely,

Nancy Tomei