Help Joselito with his fight against ALS

Joselito Rodriguez (50) is a beloved son, uncle, brother and friend. This year on May 21st on his 50th birthday, he was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Joselito is the guy that’s always smiling, encouraging others and one of the most selfless & giving people you’ll ever come across. He has always been the guy that looks 20 years younger than he is, probably due to the fact that he rides a bike everywhere. He loves the Lord and he’s always bringing a conversation back to God and what he thinks God wants to say or do in any given moment.

As many of you know, ALS is a crippling disease and Joselito will soon need full-time assistance to do daily activities. Doctors give him 2-5 years but he is already experiencing loss of mobility due to the nerve cells already breaking down, which reduces functionality in the muscles they supply. ALS is a neurological progressive disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control. As the disease advances, the damaged nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movements will cause these muscles to get weaker which affects the ability to move, walk, breath, eat and speak.

There is no way of knowing how the ravaging effects of this disease will specifically impact your body or for how long. Joselito is no longer able to work due to the weakness in his hands. In the near future as the disease progresses, he will need more adaptive medical equipment and home support, including renovating his living space or moving to a place that can be accessible for Joselito’s needs. He enjoys living minimalistic and has managed to build a simple life for himself so his cost of living isn’t extensive.

Any and all contributions are much appreciated and will help Joselito with medical costs as he has a long road ahead of him and could use all the help he can get.

A 2014 cost of ALS Study** (linked below) notes the average cost of an ALS patient is $1.4 million throughout the duration of the disease. On average, families pay 9% of that cost out-of-pocket. Adjusted for cumulative inflation to 2021, the 9% has now become $145,000

** https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25245119/

Thank you for your kind support during this challenging time.