Lucy's Fight Against ALS
Donation protected
Please help us help our dear sister, Lucy Collins.
We’ll never forget the night of the family conference call when Lucy shared the diagnosis for her crippling symptoms. Her difficult journey began late in 2015 with barely perceptible speech changes. By the time she shared the symptoms with us just a few months later, her speech was significantly impaired and she was having some difficulty swallowing. By the time we had that conference call in October of this year, we could barely understand her speech. She used a computer app to speak the words as she typed: “the diagnosis is Bulbar Onset ALS” (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease).
ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with no known cure. According to one ALS website: “The neuromuscular disabilities associated with Bulbar Onset ALS cause a myriad of related symptoms associated with swallowing, speech, and respiration. Although the rate of progression cannot be predicted, the pattern of progression is predictable. Losing the ability to swallow changes eating from a pleasurable task to a burden of survival. Loss of communication effectively imprisons the patient in a state of isolation. Further deterioration of muscles throughout the body follows.”
While Lucy is dealing with the changes in her life remarkably well, ALS has had a profound affect on it. She is no longer able to teach Sunday School and Bible studies, a ministry she trained for at seminary and loved to do. She is no longer able to play the piano for youth choir or her church’s prison ministry or sing in the church choir, things which gave her much joy. Though she grieves these losses, Lucy is hopeful that she will be able to minister to others in a new way, and she continues to find joy in her relationships with Christ, family, and many friends.
The cost for treating and supporting an ALS patient is truly staggering. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the patient responsibility for cost of care, after insurance, exceeds $150,000. As Lucy’s condition progresses, she will need to retire from her secretarial position, thus losing her modest income. Social Security Disability Income may replace half of her income. In addition to basic living expenses, Lucy will have the cost of an assisted living center in Raleigh, helpers to do all the things she cannot do, and many medical expenses. These will include expensive items like a speech device and motorized wheelchair. New treatments may be available in the future, but will likely have a large price tag.
We, as her family, are helping financially, and we appeal to you to become a part of the Lucy Collins Fund and help in any way you can. Be assured, no amount is too small. Lucy and our family will be eternally thankful for your contribution! Lucy has stipulated that any donated funds exceeding the costs of her care be donated to her favorite charities, including the ALS Foundation and to her church, Christ Baptist Church of Raleigh, that has supported her in so many ways. Please give what you can and share this with friends and family.
Blessings to all who read this,
Jolene and Marty Howell
John and Carol Collins
We’ll never forget the night of the family conference call when Lucy shared the diagnosis for her crippling symptoms. Her difficult journey began late in 2015 with barely perceptible speech changes. By the time she shared the symptoms with us just a few months later, her speech was significantly impaired and she was having some difficulty swallowing. By the time we had that conference call in October of this year, we could barely understand her speech. She used a computer app to speak the words as she typed: “the diagnosis is Bulbar Onset ALS” (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease).
ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with no known cure. According to one ALS website: “The neuromuscular disabilities associated with Bulbar Onset ALS cause a myriad of related symptoms associated with swallowing, speech, and respiration. Although the rate of progression cannot be predicted, the pattern of progression is predictable. Losing the ability to swallow changes eating from a pleasurable task to a burden of survival. Loss of communication effectively imprisons the patient in a state of isolation. Further deterioration of muscles throughout the body follows.”
While Lucy is dealing with the changes in her life remarkably well, ALS has had a profound affect on it. She is no longer able to teach Sunday School and Bible studies, a ministry she trained for at seminary and loved to do. She is no longer able to play the piano for youth choir or her church’s prison ministry or sing in the church choir, things which gave her much joy. Though she grieves these losses, Lucy is hopeful that she will be able to minister to others in a new way, and she continues to find joy in her relationships with Christ, family, and many friends.
The cost for treating and supporting an ALS patient is truly staggering. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the patient responsibility for cost of care, after insurance, exceeds $150,000. As Lucy’s condition progresses, she will need to retire from her secretarial position, thus losing her modest income. Social Security Disability Income may replace half of her income. In addition to basic living expenses, Lucy will have the cost of an assisted living center in Raleigh, helpers to do all the things she cannot do, and many medical expenses. These will include expensive items like a speech device and motorized wheelchair. New treatments may be available in the future, but will likely have a large price tag.
We, as her family, are helping financially, and we appeal to you to become a part of the Lucy Collins Fund and help in any way you can. Be assured, no amount is too small. Lucy and our family will be eternally thankful for your contribution! Lucy has stipulated that any donated funds exceeding the costs of her care be donated to her favorite charities, including the ALS Foundation and to her church, Christ Baptist Church of Raleigh, that has supported her in so many ways. Please give what you can and share this with friends and family.
Blessings to all who read this,
Jolene and Marty Howell
John and Carol Collins
Organizer
Jolene Howell
Organizer
Babson Park, FL