Hi, my name is Matt and I am reaching out with a heavy heart and hopeful spirit. My best friend Tara and I have been together for 11 beautiful years. Recently our lives have been turned upside down when Tara was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of ALS known as Balbar ALS.

A neurological disease affecting motor skills, breathing, speech and potentially every other human function as the disease progresses. ALS is changing her life on a daily bases, forcing changes in strength, losing control of muscles, constantly fatigued. Having to make difficult decisions about your future with new timelines.

Mentally exhausted and struggling emotionally, this has been heartbreaking for our entire support system. We are thankful to be fortunate enough to have the support we do, from family, friends, our medical team and The ALS Society as we face the reality of this disease.

My reason of starting this fundraiser for Tara is to make sure that she would never miss an opportunity for curing her disease, or having a costly medical procedure that will better her quality of life, or suffer any loss of dignity due to financial struggle. With what seems like rapid progression our future is challenging and I'm hoping that with the support and donations from this will help take the stressful financial burden away.

In the short time it has been since the diagnoses the disease is already taking its tole both physically, and financially, depleting our savings and wasting our spirit. I work mostly out of town for weeks at a time this has been limited and non existent due to our mental statis, medical care and needs along with overall stress of seeing my love suffer with new physical challenges daily, knowing that she will not be the same as when I return home.

Trying to stay strong and be strong for my best friend while I am falling apart inside, trying to relate but really only imagining the feelings that go through her mind. Knowing that she is suffering emotionally and physically and there's no Cure or anything I can do to stop it, I can't do anything but my best to ease her pain and create more memories and more smiles.

We are looking to raise $30,000 to be set aside and used for powered mobile equipment, technological devises for speech, communication and independence, and to have the security that if any emergency may occur we have a chance to take it head on.

In todays world of technology, Doctor's and scientists around the world making advancements in the research of the disease we hope that in the near future, break throughs will be made in ALS with the generous donations

The ALS Society is a non profit organization helping people battling the challenges they face with this devastating disease. providing lending programs for well needed and costly equipment to help support the quality of life that ALS is taking from so many of us. Knowing that this organization is going be our biggest help as we navigate this unknown and scary journey together, we would like to give back.

We would like to use any extra proceeds and/or un-used funds to donate to the ALS Society. By giving back as much as we can to the ALS Community.

All donations no matter how big or small and all shares will allow us some comfort knowing that we wont be on the sidelines when costly supplies are needed, And we can continue to make loving memories and avoid some of the financial stress

With love and gratitude

Matthew Friend and Tara Wasylyshyn