Okay, you've dumped the bucket of ice on your head and shared the video with your family and friends. You hopefully did a little research and discovered that ALS -- the disease behind the challenge -- is a horrendously debilitating disease for which there is no known cure (if you have not done the research, please see here http://www.askaboutaimee.com/id18.html for a brilliant, personalized description of the effects of ALS). Moreover, you might have even clicked the button and donated to a national or regional ALS organization (thank you for that!).
But now you can make a difference in one person's life in a small but important way.
The purpose of this fund is to provide house cleaning services for Aimee Nease Chamernik, who has been slowly suffering from the ravages of ALS for ten years. As Aimee once described, "... imagine duct taping your legs together just above the knees, duct taping your arms to your sides above the elbow, strapping on an extra 50 pounds of velcro weights (unevenly, so you are always off-balance and need support from a walker), and then trying to accomplish anything useful around your home. And add someone sneaking up behind you and unexpectedly poking you with a needle to give you little shooting pains in your lower back or hip or ankle from time to time.... That is the best I can do to describe a fraction of the ALS experience for me."
Aimee could be you. Or me. Or your neighbor. Like you, she was just ... living life ... at the time of her diagnoses -- happily married, mother of three, actively involved in running, following her beloved Cardinals, outdoing every other mother in town with her amazingly artistic sugar cookie decorations. But when one's life is completely turned on its head by a devastating diagnoses like ALS, the surreal part is that life, in fact, does not stop. Kids still need to be driven to activities. An already busy husband has pull double-duty to not only work, but keep things afloat at home. Toilets need to be cleaned, floors swept, dishes put away.
There is no magic fairy who swoops in to take care of all these things, even when ALS continues to day-by-day rob a person of their own body.
This is why, two years ago, I decided to do a private fundraiser amongst family and friends to raise money for housecleaning services for Aimee and her family. The response was amazing. My goal was a deep cleaning for the holidays. I ended up raising enough to provide not only this initial holiday cleaning, but enough funds for two full years of bi-weekly cleanings.
It isn't grand gesture, but it is something. I wish I had a magic wand and could wipe this disease off the planet. Instead, I can only strive to make the lives of one family ever-so-slightly easier.
I hope you will join me in contributing to this fund to continue to have the Chamerniks' house cleaned for them on a bi-weekly (or, if enough is raised) weekly basis. Give them the joy of a deep cleaning for the holidays, so that they can relax with family and friends. Make a difference in one family's life so that you know you meant it when you poured that bucket of ice water over your head and said, "This is to raise awareness for ALS!" You can now directly help one family who suffers from it.
Thank you so very much!!
But now you can make a difference in one person's life in a small but important way.
The purpose of this fund is to provide house cleaning services for Aimee Nease Chamernik, who has been slowly suffering from the ravages of ALS for ten years. As Aimee once described, "... imagine duct taping your legs together just above the knees, duct taping your arms to your sides above the elbow, strapping on an extra 50 pounds of velcro weights (unevenly, so you are always off-balance and need support from a walker), and then trying to accomplish anything useful around your home. And add someone sneaking up behind you and unexpectedly poking you with a needle to give you little shooting pains in your lower back or hip or ankle from time to time.... That is the best I can do to describe a fraction of the ALS experience for me."
Aimee could be you. Or me. Or your neighbor. Like you, she was just ... living life ... at the time of her diagnoses -- happily married, mother of three, actively involved in running, following her beloved Cardinals, outdoing every other mother in town with her amazingly artistic sugar cookie decorations. But when one's life is completely turned on its head by a devastating diagnoses like ALS, the surreal part is that life, in fact, does not stop. Kids still need to be driven to activities. An already busy husband has pull double-duty to not only work, but keep things afloat at home. Toilets need to be cleaned, floors swept, dishes put away.
There is no magic fairy who swoops in to take care of all these things, even when ALS continues to day-by-day rob a person of their own body.
This is why, two years ago, I decided to do a private fundraiser amongst family and friends to raise money for housecleaning services for Aimee and her family. The response was amazing. My goal was a deep cleaning for the holidays. I ended up raising enough to provide not only this initial holiday cleaning, but enough funds for two full years of bi-weekly cleanings.
It isn't grand gesture, but it is something. I wish I had a magic wand and could wipe this disease off the planet. Instead, I can only strive to make the lives of one family ever-so-slightly easier.
I hope you will join me in contributing to this fund to continue to have the Chamerniks' house cleaned for them on a bi-weekly (or, if enough is raised) weekly basis. Give them the joy of a deep cleaning for the holidays, so that they can relax with family and friends. Make a difference in one family's life so that you know you meant it when you poured that bucket of ice water over your head and said, "This is to raise awareness for ALS!" You can now directly help one family who suffers from it.
Thank you so very much!!