Hi there. Folks have been asking how they can help contribute to cover some of the costs of Tim's home elevator construction project and here is now a way to support Tim if you are able. Tim has given his okay to share his story. Please share with those who have mentioned they would like to help in some way. Here is some of Tim's story:

Tim Winchester has been a Physics and Math adjunct faculty member since 2016 and just finished Year 2 of his Tenure Track Physics position here at Bellevue College. In 2022, Tim was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), formerly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a neurological disorder that affects motor neurons, the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement and breathing.

In early 2022 Tim started noticing his symptoms were weakness in legs, loss of control, and stumbling. Eventually he was diagnosed in December 2022 and his doctor recommended moving out of his home into a new house as soon as possible, as it is hard to predict how fast symptoms progress. Tim's house he shares with his husband and dog is a three-story condo with stairs to each level. As the ALS progresses, it makes it continually harder to climb stairs, and at some point, Tim will need to move from a walker to a wheelchair. After looking at homes in the area, there are next to none in the area that are wheelchair ready. In addition, those that were one-story, were very expensive or would require many updates to make it wheelchair ready. Therefore, Tim and his husband decided the most cost-effective option was building an elevator. Which is still VERY expensive, and thus this ask.

Construction started in November 2023 and is expected to finish in May 2024. Any gift is much appreciated to support this effort.