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This is a video I made explaining our situation and expressing my feelings regarding my mom having ALS.
This is a little video featuring pictures and info about my mom Carol Smith.
Hello! My name is Crystal and I am here on behalf of my mother Carol Smith. My mom was recently diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (otherwise known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease). ALS is a degenerative neuromuscular disease that is devastating to the patient and their family.
ALS slowly causes a person to lose control of their voluntary muscles. ALS patients face different challenges such as losing the ability to speak, move, and eat. Eventually ALS patients lose the ability to breathe on their own and respiratory failure leads to their demise. ALS is considered a terminal disease and most patients pass on average 3-5 years from diagnosis.
My mom started to notice some symptoms a few months ago. She was experiencing something called "drop foot" where one of her feet wouldn't lift quite right and it was causing her to fall frequently. I felt my mom wasn't safe living on her own anymore (she is unmarried and was living in an upstairs apartment by herself).
Once my mother moved in we got the ball rolling on trying to figure out what was wrong with her. A visit to my primary care doctor and recommendation for a specalist visit resulted in finding out she has ALS.
My mom is uninsured and there are many factors standing in the way of getting her proper insurance. She will be able to get coverage in the not too far future; however, as of now everything has been out of pocket. My mama's out of pocket expense is over $4,000 and we anticipate more will be spent on care before we can get her insured.
I also would very much like to take my mother on a magical vacation with our family. My mom spent her whole life working really hard and barely taking time for herself. She has always been driven, motivated, and cautious and hasn't ever really been able to do something just for herself. She has never been on a "big" vacation and we (as a family) would very much like to take her on an adventure before she isn't able to do it. As of now, mom uses a walker to get around (very slowly) and sometimes a wheelchair. Before too long though she will not be able to be transported as easily and trying to get around will be far more challenging.
I love my mom more than words can express. She has always been so much more than a mama to me. She is my teammate, one of my best friends, my confidant, and one of the best people on the planet. She deserves to not have to worry and fret about how finances will be handled while she has so much else going on.
We as a family are so thankful of all the love, care, support, and kindness we have already experienced. We ask you all to give a monetary donation if you can, or just send prayers, positive thoughts, and love! We appreciate it so much! Thank you all.
<3 Crystal
This is a little video featuring pictures and info about my mom Carol Smith.
Hello! My name is Crystal and I am here on behalf of my mother Carol Smith. My mom was recently diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (otherwise known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease). ALS is a degenerative neuromuscular disease that is devastating to the patient and their family.
ALS slowly causes a person to lose control of their voluntary muscles. ALS patients face different challenges such as losing the ability to speak, move, and eat. Eventually ALS patients lose the ability to breathe on their own and respiratory failure leads to their demise. ALS is considered a terminal disease and most patients pass on average 3-5 years from diagnosis.
My mom started to notice some symptoms a few months ago. She was experiencing something called "drop foot" where one of her feet wouldn't lift quite right and it was causing her to fall frequently. I felt my mom wasn't safe living on her own anymore (she is unmarried and was living in an upstairs apartment by herself).
Once my mother moved in we got the ball rolling on trying to figure out what was wrong with her. A visit to my primary care doctor and recommendation for a specalist visit resulted in finding out she has ALS.
My mom is uninsured and there are many factors standing in the way of getting her proper insurance. She will be able to get coverage in the not too far future; however, as of now everything has been out of pocket. My mama's out of pocket expense is over $4,000 and we anticipate more will be spent on care before we can get her insured.
I also would very much like to take my mother on a magical vacation with our family. My mom spent her whole life working really hard and barely taking time for herself. She has always been driven, motivated, and cautious and hasn't ever really been able to do something just for herself. She has never been on a "big" vacation and we (as a family) would very much like to take her on an adventure before she isn't able to do it. As of now, mom uses a walker to get around (very slowly) and sometimes a wheelchair. Before too long though she will not be able to be transported as easily and trying to get around will be far more challenging.
I love my mom more than words can express. She has always been so much more than a mama to me. She is my teammate, one of my best friends, my confidant, and one of the best people on the planet. She deserves to not have to worry and fret about how finances will be handled while she has so much else going on.
We as a family are so thankful of all the love, care, support, and kindness we have already experienced. We ask you all to give a monetary donation if you can, or just send prayers, positive thoughts, and love! We appreciate it so much! Thank you all.
<3 Crystal
Organizer
Crystal Kilkenny
Organizer
Vancouver, WA