Karen's ALS care

Our aunt, Karen Doss Bowman, is one of the funniest people we know and almost always wears a smile. We are amazed at the positive spirit she’s maintained throughout her 14-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

We are asking for your support for Karen and her family – husband, Darin (known to many as DK), and sons Peyton and Carter – to help manage her growing medical and caregiving expenses. In the past five years, these costs have increased about six-fold.

These donations will directly support needs such as handicap-accessible home renovations, durable medical equipment, skilled nursing care and other expenses that become unmanageable as Karen’s ability to work decreases and Darin’s role as her caregiver increases.

What is ALS?

ALS is an incurable neurological disease. It causes cells of the central nervous system – called motor neurons – to stop working or die. As these cells degenerate and die, the brain loses its ability to initiate and control muscle movement. As the brain and muscles lose their ability to exchange signals, the muscles controlled by these cells atrophy, becoming weak and non-functional.

Over time, ALS robs people of their ability to:

Karen’s Journey

Karen’s lifelong passion for music offered the first clues that something was wrong in 2009. A church pianist and organist from the age of 12, Karen began noticing while playing hymns that her pinky fingers, while in place over the piano keys, were not playing the notes. This started when Karen was just into her 40s.

Gradually, all of her fingers became too weak to play piano, and her legs and ankles also began to show weakness. In 2014, she was diagnosed with progressive muscular atrophy, a slow-progressing type of ALS. After several years of directing the handbell choir and chancel choir at her church, Karen had to give up those activities as well.

Though ALS has come with losses for Karen and her family, they are grateful that the disease is slowly progressing, giving them more time to enjoy her love, spontaneity, and upbeat presence.

What are the needs?

While the slow progression of the disease is a blessing, that means living longer with the debilitating symptoms of ALS. Karen needs assistance with all activities of daily living (ADLs), such as getting in and out of bed, bathing, dressing, and eating.

Your support will help fund Karen’s specialized needs, including:

Thank you!

We appreciate any support you are able to give, and feel free to share widely to broaden the sources of support for Karen and her family. They also value the prayers, emotional support and love they have received for many of you over the years. They truly are surrounded by a community of love.

For more information:

Read about Karen’s vocal cord surgery and her trip to NYC, funded by Team Gleason.