Val's Fight against the odds of ALS

Hello friends, family and supporters,

     Just to give you a little history about why I am humbly coming to you for your help, In January 2014, my mom started to notice a slight change in her speech. It was a slur. She immediately schedule an appointment to see a neurologist to assess the problem. She underwent a few tests to rule out as many diagnoses as possible. In the meantime, the slurred speech worsened over time. During the doctor’s visit, it was determined that more testing had to be done, so my mom had to undergo an Electromyography (EMG) test. After this specialized test was performed, it was determined that my mom had ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, Charcot's disease, and motor neuron disease (MND). ALS attacks certain cells in the brain and spinal cord needed to keep our muscles moving; muscle cramps, muscle twitching, weakness in hands, legs, feet or ankles and difficulty speaking or swallowing, all of which my mom is now experiencing to some degree. It has now been just a little over a year and the disease has progressed rapidly and we are in need of household adaptations to allow my mom to remain comfortable and live a quality of life suitable for her. You would think that insurance would be able to kick in at this point given her condition and supply my mom with adequate care. That is not the case for my mom.

     In February 2004, my mom retired from the Department of Welfare after thirty-three years of service. My mom paid into Medicare during all of her years of service, but she is being denied Medicare Insurance. We have been denied twice and appealed the decision. We appealed the appeal process and were denied again. The department of Social Security says, she did not accumulate any work history, five years after she "retired" and because she didn't apply for SSD (Social Security Disability) within those years she doesn't meet the criteria established by government.

     As you can imagine, my mom will need a variety of home modifications that will allow her to live safe and comfortable in the home in which she has worked hard to create over the years. We are going to need stair glides, communication devices, a wheelchair, bars in the bathroom, a ramp to enter the house, and other medical.

My mom is my best friend. One of the most important relationships we have is our relationship with our mothers, and I would like to provide my mom with the best care possible. I am asking anyone who is willing, capable and can donate funds to help us get the appropriate medical equipment so my mother can beat ALS and live a fulfilling life.