John Giacomazzi Aka ‘Peacock’ John comes by his nickname Peacock pretty honestly. Like a peacock, your real beauty is multiplied when you spread your wings and show your stuff. Don’t be afraid to be who you are. John has spent his life doing just that while soaring through the air whenever he gets the chance. Whether it be on a snowboard or on a trampoline, this Peacock flies. John is a high caliber snowboarder and is happiest when in the air. He has spent his time traveling the world, and chasing winter, while always striving to be better in all areas of his life. John has recently combined his love of teaching and snowboarding by coaching and training aspiring athletes. Above all else though, John has been called a “professional smile keeper”. He encourages others to never lose their sense of curiosity and adventure, while (often without even knowing) inspiring all those around him.  It is no doubt that John Giacomazzi leaves a lasting impression wherever he goes, and to just about everyone he meets. Now the hope is we can all band together to support John in his difficult times ahead. Recently, John has had to take a step away from the mountains and trampolines due to significant pain he has been experiencing in his legs. Testing in November revealed massive neurological damage. As the doctors put it, his brain and his muscles have stopped liking to talk to each other. After a series of more tests, this January John was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS. This is a progressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control. You may also know ALS as Lou Gehrig's Disease. ALS is a nasty, life-limiting disease that does not have a known cure. The average life expectancy after diagnosis is two to five years and as the disease worsens symptoms often include progressive muscle weakness, paralysis, loss of speech, as well as difficulty breathing leading to the need for a ventilator. The good news is some patients far outlive the average life expectancy by years, and in some cases even decades. Now if you know John, you know he has the strength of mind, body and spirit to fight this disease until the very end, and to stay positive every step of the way. But John is going to need some help. He’s going to need OUR help. As most of you know already, both John’s parents have passed, and although he has made friends all over the world, unfortunately many of us aren’t able to be there by his side to help him through this. But what we can do is send our thoughts, prayers, and love to John as well as some money to help him pay for some of the extreme healthcare costs he is going to be facing. Let’s keep John in our lives as long as possible, and increase his quality of life along the way.  With his spirit, determination, and positive mindset, along with our help, we plan on beating the odds. 100% of the money being donated will go directly to John (all donations are wired straight to his bank account). These funds will go towards prolonging and improving John’s quality of life. Pharmaceutical treatments, medical treatments, medical equipment, assistive devices, home-care/ home modifications are all expenses that John will need covered in the not too distant future. Needless to say these costs are expected to be very high. According to article “Economic Implications: Direct And Indirect Costs of ALS Therapy”, the total annual cost for ALS patients in the USA is $69,475 (<a href="https://www.ajmc.com/view/als-managed-care-considerations" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.ajmc.com/view/als-managed-care-considerations</a>). His first stem cell treatment alone will be $25, 000 and he will need to do this treatment more than once.  Our goal is high, but we believe it is attainable with the help of all the people who have been a part of John’s life all over the world. Please donate what you can, spread the word on social media, and let’s do what we can to keep Peacock soaring!

Jared Barker

Melissa Therien

Barclay Holbrook

Janice Colvin

maria lamari

Naoki Fujita

Darcie McNally

Diane Werich

Deborah McNally

Paul Hayden

Anonymous

Lindsey Jaleh

Spencer Reese

Taylor Bateson

William Herbert

Richard Werich

Seonyoung Kim

Katrina Mae Settles

Help John with his ALS expenses and treatments!

Help John with his ALS expenses and treatments!

Still $35,435 to go. Help us build momentum.