As an UPDATE to all who have helped:

Mom moved on, Monday night (Jan 26, 2026). She was surrounded by family at home. We are unable to express our overwhelming gratitude to you all. You've support allowed us to keep mom at her home, cared for by her family. This is exactly what she wanted. She had as much quality life in the last 4 months as we could manage. Thanksgiving and Christmas were beautiful. She had the equipment she needed to keep her safe and as comfortable as possible. Donations have also helped us cover funeral expenses and made so much possible. We know that many of these donations came at personal sacrifice. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! You all have been part of our miracle!

From this point on, if any of you would like to honor mom, we would like to encourage you to seek a way to serve someone around you. Mom had such a great ability to see and meet the needs of friends, acquaintances, and strangers. Donations are also welcome to ALSSO which is an ALS organization in the Inland Northwest that helped us so much.

_______________________________________________________

My mom, Kathy, is smart, kind, and funny. She always wins Scrabble, and she sings Partridge Family songs in the shower. She loves to decorate for every holiday. She has beautiful penmanship. She loves to go on adventures. She makes egg noodles right on the table. She’s a great friend, a great mom, and a one-of-a-kind, amazing grandma.

A month ago she was diagnosed with ALS. There is no real treatment for this. She was given 2-4 years. She still breaths pretty well but her muscles are failing, she's almost completely wheelchair dependent, and it's getting more difficult to swallow. We are grateful though. Most people don't get such intentional time to say goodbye or to make memories. Costs are adding up rapidly though. Everytime she goes to the ALS Specialty clinic its $300 (six specialists with $50 copay). Every piece of equipment will come with a copay or not be approved and purchased out of pocket. Life is expensive right now, so please dont feel pressured, but if you'd like to help, we'd really appreciate it.

Background to why mom is in Washington: About five years ago, my sister was in a car accident (in eastern Washington) and broke her neck. She had to have a spinal fusion and relearn to walk. Around that time, she and her husband filed for divorce. Less than a year later, her one-year-old started having unsettling symptoms and was diagnosed with an inoperable tumor in his brain stem. While he was on treatment, his six-year-old brother was also diagnosed with a brain tumor and lost vision in one eye. Both little boys were on chemo at the same time. My mom and dad stuck a big pin in their lives and plans and came to help. At first, my mom was traveling back and forth between Arkansas and Washington. Then she realized that she had to be here all the time. So she gave up her job in Arkansas and has been an energizer bunny, super grandma (they call her Gibby) ever since. It’s wonderful that she has carried my sister, niece, and nephews through these last several years. My mom is their world. And no matter what happens, I know that they will know that they are loved.

The little boys are doing great. They are off chemo and in mid-September, they both received amazing news. Not just one, but both boys are medically in the clear right now and will likely stay that way. They’ll still be monitored, and the tumors might grow when they go through puberty, but we can all breathe again. These little guys will grow up and be okay. It’s the miracle that we (and so many of you) have been praying for.

But because life is often bitter with sweet, the same day that my sister took her boys to their oncology appointment and got such great news, my brother and I took my mom to a neuromuscular specialist appointment, where she was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig).

We knew something was wrong when she lost grip strength in her left hand in April. We were hoping and praying for something treatable. She had a bunch of tests. She received multiple “maybe” diagnoses, from anemia to tight neck muscles to ulnar tunnel. But those things didn’t explain what was happening. Because we’re all human, we googled neuromuscular conditions that this might possibly be.

In August, she received a stat referral to one of the best specialty clinics in the northwest. Even as I drove her to that neuromuscular specialist, we talked about how we would accept any diagnosis and find a way to cope as long as it was not ALS. So when the doctor told her, “Today, I’m giving you a diagnosis of ALS,” my brain couldn’t actually register what that meant. I looked at Josh (my brother), and his eyes showed the same confusion as I felt. I remember someone quietly whispered “no, please, no,” but I don’t know if it was him or me. I looked up at my mom. She was wearing a hospital gown that was too big for her and sitting on the table that my brother and I lifted her onto. She looked so tiny to me at that moment. “Do you have any questions?” the doctor said. I am sure there were questions we could have asked. But no one spoke until my mom said, “How long?” Josh and I got up and held her while the doctor explained averages and the unique progression of this whirlwind. He tentatively said that we would be lucky to have 4 years. At a follow-up appointment two weeks later, I asked if it was okay to try to set a goal to have at least 2 years. They said there’s a good chance that it will be less than two years, but there’s also a good chance that it will be in the 2-4 years, and there’s always a chance that it will be longer.

It’s progressing fast, and she’s already lost much of her strength and almost all of her independence. She had to leave her (Washington) job, and she now needs help with nearly every part of daily life. My dad is in Arkansas, trying to finish remodeling their house enough to sell it so he can move back here to Washington and be with her. They’ve used up most of their savings helping my sister and her kids.

Right now, my brother, sister, and I coordinate to be with her around the clock. I’ve been a CNA for 9 years, and I’m luckily able to help her and teach them. The main thing right now is managing fatigue and keeping her from falling. With a cane and a gait belt (me holding onto her), she can walk about 10 feet. She uses a wheelchair but cannot move herself. She can still use her right hand a little, but that is declining rapidly. Breathing and swallowing are a little more difficult than they used to be, and her voice is gravely. Soon she will be in an electric wheelchair. We have only begun to dive into the world of special equipment, but we will need it soon. Even with decent insurance, copays are adding up. Special equipment and specialist copays will be the name of the game throughout the rest of her life.

Right now, we’re just trying to get them back together and stable again. The first $15,000 will help cover:

• Materials and labor to finish the Arkansas house so it can be listed

• Specialty clinic copays ($300 every time)

• Travel and moving costs for Dad

• Accessibility equipment and home setup for Mom

The full need is closer to $30,000 once we factor in care supplies, transportation, and ongoing support, but $15,000 change so much and make it possible for them to finally be together again. Anything helps, even sharing this page. Thank you for caring about my family and helping us through this.