Dad's fight against ALS

I remember the ice bucket challenge like it was yesterday. As many of you remember, this challenge was created to raise awareness for ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Regretfully, many of us took on this challenge because it was “fun”; and when all the hype was over, ALS was once again far from our minds. Today, I realize how important this challenge was, and maybe ALS isn’t really that rare.

My father was diagnosed in May of 2019 and was only given a year to live. His ALS is aggressive, and no interventions thus far have slowed its progression. It’s been 6 months since his diagnosis and he has nearly lost his ability to eat, drink, walk, and talk. Sadly, he now has pneumonia, which is a common complication associated with ALS. 

Needless to say, his diagnosis was unexpected and sudden, his decline is rapid, and we are unprepared. His only source of income is his hardware store, which has taken a blow financially due to his absence. The medical bills are piling high and he still requires equipment, medicine, and 24-hour care. His wife, my mother, should be by his side instead of slaving in the barely hanging on hardware store thousands of miles away from my dad. 

With our backs to the wall, we turn to our friends and family for support. It took a lot for us to finally admit we need help. So, we understand if you can’t and we are more than grateful if you can. Donations will hopefully help to improve his quality of life and allow my parents to be together to ride out this storm.