Jennifer Chavez with ALS

My name is Maria Brosnan and I’m devastated that my good friend Jennifer has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a debilitating, terminal, incurable disease, at the age of 53. Jennifer and I became friends nearly 20 years ago when our families lived down the street from each other and our children attended nursery school together. Both Julian and Isabella attended Swampscott schools and the extended day programs in elementary and middle school. The family managed to be involved in many town activities, such as the Farmers Market, Town Meeting, little league, Girl Scouts, music lessons and various school clubs while Rob and Jennifer worked and also had to manage several health issues, from food allergies to breast cancer.

Jennifer taught Latin at Marblehead High School until earlier this year when she took a new position at Austin Prep. After she started in her new job Jennifer realized something was not right when she lost her balance a few times and noticed weakness in her right hand. She went through a grueling

process of going from doctor to specialist and undergoing every test imaginable until finally getting the dreaded diagnosis of ALS in April 2022.

ALS was a terrible shock to Jennifer and her husband Rob. Jennifer’s life and health has changed dramatically since the diagnosis, and although there is no cure, there is medication and treatment to help make her life easier. Medical insurance will not cover all the costs, so in addition to this life-altering diagnosis, Jennifer and Rob have struggled with coverage from their insurance and Big Pharma.

Jennifer loves teaching, and was planning to return to work this September. Unfortunately, her illness has progressed and that is no longer possible.

Please consider supporting Jennifer, Rob, and Julian and Isabella in their time of need. I am collecting donations to help cover treatment, assistive devices, and home care. I have a fundraising goal of $ 20,000 and every donation amount helps and will go directly to Jennifer and Rob.

For more information about ALS, please visit Helping You Understand ALS | The ALS Association

Thank you for your support!