ALS ADA fundraiser for Salym

This is a fundraiser for Salym, my amazing and kindhearted sister-in-law, who was diagnosed with ALS on May 23, 2023. ALS or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cordis and is fatal. People with ALS lose their ability to walk, talk, eat, and eventually breathe. The average survival time for people with ALS is two to five years. The average cost of an ALS patient's medical care is $200,000 per year. I want to share a bit of Salym's life with you all so you can see a glimpse of how devastating, challenging, and expensive this disease is and will be as it progresses. Salym is a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and much more. She and her husband Dan, have four of the sweetest kids you will ever meet (ages 8 and younger). In the Fall of 2022, they moved to Texas to be closer to family. Before Salym's symptoms started she was an exceedingly talented lash extension artist for 8 years. Salym's symptoms started shortly after the move with cramping in her legs, complications with moving her toes and lifting her legs, shaking in her hands, and even difficulty holding her children in her arms. Salym is currently using a wheelchair, but in need of a heavy-duty one that supports her head and neck. These chairs cost about $12,000. As the disease progresses, she will be unable to speak without a communication device, unable to eat without a feeding tube, unable to breathe without a respiratory device, and unable to live the normal life she had imagined with her beautiful family. Her family’s home also needs to be modified now to be wheelchair accessible. Some of those modifications will be widening doorways, adding ramps, removing steps and leveling floors, and much more in order for her to safely move throughout her home. Right now, we are hoping to raise $65,000 to get an ADA car that will fit their family of 6, and also raise another $12,000 for the wheelchair. ALS always worsens and it usually worsens quickly, over the course of months, leading to severe disability within one to two years. Truthfully, their income will not finance these rapid changes, while also supporting their family. We are hoping and praying that with this sudden and devastating news, this fundraiser will provide Salym with the treatment, resources, and accommodations needed to navigate this life-changing disease.  Your donations will go towards medication, assistive devices for communication/transportation/breathing/eating, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, respiratory therapy, in-home caregivers, home adaptations to make their home wheelchair accessible, and other things needed to live a quality life with ALS for both Salym and her family.  We appreciate your help, any donations sent, and even sharing this page to reach more people. To follow Salym’s journey living with ALS, please follow her Instagram @alswithsalym  To learn more about ALS visit als.org Here is a message from Salym. “Yesterday was a day I’ve been dreading. My diagnosis came back and came back as the one thing I didn’t want, ALS. I had a strong feeling that this is what it was since March but was praying it wasn’t true, wishing it was something else, anything else that can be cured. I feel like I saw my life just flash of all the things I won’t be able to do or enjoy again, walk normally, get up and down from the floor, play tag, go on field trips for school, oh so many things. My heart is truly shattered. I want to thank everyone for praying, fasting, and thinking about me. I ask you still pray as I try to come to peace with this. I love all of you and ask you to hug all of your loved ones extra tight for me. I love my family and you all know who you are!”