Donate to John Kirtley's Vision for ALS Mobility

My brother’s name is John Kirtley. For the first 49 years of his life, he lived life to the fullest. He is a dedicated husband, father, son, Brother, friend, and coworker. He enjoyed vacationing with his wife and sons, providing a life of adventures and great memories. Then the unexpected happened. He was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, ALS, in May 2019. He was forced to medically retire from his 13 year career in law enforcement due to the effect this disease had on his body.

ALS is a terminal disease with a life expectancy of 2 to 5 years for most people. During the progression of this disease, one will slowly become paralyzed.

When he became too weak and unable to use his arms and legs, he had to get a motorized wheelchair. The wheelchairs made for those with ALS are built to assist with disease specific needs. These wheelchairs are equipped to support his arms, legs, and neck as they weaken, lift/lower him to eye level with others, withstand daily use , and carry numerous pieces of equipment (ie. Bipap machine for breathing, eye gaze for speaking, backpack filled with medications and assistive utensils).

Needless to say these wheelchairs are very heavy, so much so that using a regular car or truck for travel outside of one’s home is not an option. They require an ADA equipped van to safely withstand the weight.

After receiving his wheelchair, he refused to purchase an ADA van due to the cost. He stayed in his house for 4 months, unable to visit family and friends or even go to the grocery store.

Seeing the toll not being able to leave his home was taking on him,his wife finally convinced him to purchase a van. The difference it made in his quality of life has been drastic. As long as he has someone to drive him, he can go anywhere at anytime.

The reality of living with this disease, is that he will not need this van for very long. So Seeing the life it gave back to him and his family once he became restricted to his wheelchair, makes him want to give that to others.

I am setting up this GoFundMe to raise funds to help pay off his van. ALS is a very expensive disease to live with, even without an ADA van. So arises the question, “What happens to the van once he’s gone?” His vision is for his wife to find a local ALS family in need of a van and lease the van to them for $1.00. When their time of need for the van comes to an end, his wife would find another family in need and so on. The harsh reality is that families won’t need an ADA van for long. With the cost of a van being very expensive and the need is short in time, we would be able to help many families in his honor.

Proof of payment to the bank will be provided. Thank you so much for your support