Managing Mary Cruz's Medical Needs

Over the Christmas break, our fantastic friend Mary Cruz was diagnosed with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mary is only 52 years old. She has two wonderful children, Skylar and Zane, a stepson named Jacob, two beautiful granddaughters Sophie and Gabby, and a loving husband of 27 years, Adam Cruz.

ALS is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It is a nervous system disorder that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, eventually leading to the loss of the muscle control needed to move, speak, eat, and breathe. There is no cure for this fatal disease. Life expectancy for those diagnosed with this devastating disease is typically 2-5 years.

Always working out and eating healthy, Mary could not understand what was happening to her body a little over a year ago. She was experiencing weakness in her legs and found that she was falling down frequently. She underwent back surgery to try to alleviate the weakness in her legs. She also completed a round of physical therapy, but she did not show signs of improvements. In fact, her condition seemed to worsen. After many more tests and office visits, it was determined that Mary had been suffering from ALS.

Today, Mary is unable to stay on her feet all day and continue to work as an elementary teacher. Her workouts are limited to physical therapy visits at a local hospital. Fortunately, she is still mobile with the assistance of leg braces and a cane.

Mary has always been outgoing and active. She is not accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle. She loves to chat and is quick to make friends with everyone that she meets. In fact, she has already joined an ALS support group! Mary has touched the lives of countless coworkers, students, and parents who she has come in contact with during her 27-year teaching career. Active in her community, Mary is a member of the local YMCA. She has also participated in various campaigns to help support others, such as the March of Dimes, Girls on the Run, and pride parades. Mary is a loving, and compassionate soul.

ALS can be an incredibly challenging disease for patients and their families, not only physically and emotionally, but also financially. The money raised through this campaign will be used to help the Cruz family with the enormous costs associated with living with ALS. It is estimated that ALS patients spend over $70,000 a year on both direct and indirect services not covered by insurance.

Always a planner, Mary realizes that her home will need a lot of modifications to be accessible to her future self. Ramps, wider door jams, and an accessible shower stall will be needed. Furthermore, despite having health insurance, the family will incur substantial costs for hospital visits, a motorized scooter, mobility equipment, naturopathic health services, home health care services, and medication.

We love Mary and are inspired by her courage and hope. After touching the lives of so many throughout her lifetime, it is time for Mary to allow others to reciprocate. Through this campaign, we can support Mary and her family as they navigate through the rough road that lies ahead.

While Mary is aware of this GoFundMe campaign, she did request that friends and family give her space at this time. Mary is understandably overwhelmed with her diagnosis and would prefer that you reach out to her with a message on the GoFundMe page, rather than texting or using Messenger.

Thank you for your support! We appreciate you from the bottom of our hearts.

Valerie Clarkson, Cindy Turnipseed, Ramona Smriga and the Smriga Family