We have created this fund for Rich Sigtermans who was diagnosed with ALS in the summer of 2014.  Rich’s family and friends have already raised a substantial amount of money to help him participate in efforts to prolong his quality of life.  Now we’re asking that others continue reading and lend a hand however possible.

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), or more commonly known to some as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.  Over time, motor neurons begin to die and the brain’s ability to communicate with muscles is lost.  As the disease progresses the ability to move, speak, eat and finally breathe, is lost.  Visit alsa.org for more information on this disease.

Rich is married and a father of three children ages 15, 12, and 9.  Originally friends, family and I  wanted to create this fund to help Rich and his family use what time they had left together to create lasting memories.  Unfortunately, in April of 2015, Rich sustained an injury that left him in the hospital and in bed for several weeks.  The accident occurred on a Friday night when Rich suggested the movies as a destination for a date with his wife.  It is common in the early stages of ALS to feel your legs give out from under you and there’s nothing you can do but watch yourself fall.  Rich sustained a traumatic brain injury and skull fractures from the impact.  Since then Rich has recovered from the fall and will continue to keep fighting for as long as he can. 

The fund is now dedicated to helping Rich and his family finance a caregiver and an appropriate vehicle as it is clear his days of living life unassisted have passed.  Rich’s wife continues to do everything she can to care for him and their children but needs another person available to help as his independence fades.  This type of care is not covered through insurance. Starting from just a couple of hours per day he will gradually progress to needing a fulltime 24-hour caregiver.  Costs are estimated at around $100k total depending on length of care needed.  Please help us cover these costs so that whatever money Rich has saved over the years can be used for his original intent, to protect his children and wife.

My hope is to have others who know Rich write stories and send them to me so that I can continually post updates to everyone with them as I feel it is important to truly know someone in order to help them when they need it most.  You can send them to me through gofundme's contact link and I will do my best to get them published as soon as possible.  Also if you prefer the story only be presented to say Rich and his family please let me know.

Thanks,

Brian Kehoe

My Story:

My story of Rich began before I was born when he first became a friend of my family.  Fast forward to four years ago and he is now a mentor and close friend of mine.  Starting my career I was but a child grasping at opportunities to show what I was capable of.  I quickly learned that no matter how smart I was or how great my GPA/degree looked on paper, I wasn’t fully prepared to manage myself in the workplace. 

Countless times Rich provided the necessary constructive criticism one can only wish for when growing as a person and employee.  His ability to multitask and produce results on an ongoing basis were outstanding.   I quickly realized that all of the intelligence and skill I thought I had at the very moment I accepted the job was only a fraction of that possessed by the man who made the decision to hire me.

Since then I have grown closer to Rich and his family.  Anyone who has met them knows that his children embody all of the characteristics that make him and his wife so amazing.  His oldest demonstrates responsibility and bravery the way every parent prays their child will on the day they are born.  The middle, a free spirited child destined to create something great one day and challenge the norms of our current generation.  And lastly, the youngest, a child with a glowing personality that radiates warmth and happiness like that of the season she was named after.  I can only hope that one day my children grow to embody these same qualities.

The day Rich first made public that he was diagnosed with ALS still lies fresh in my mind.  He so bravely announced to all of my coworkers that he was diagnosed with the disease and went on to explain everything he knew as he had become an expert on the topic.  He unwaveringly expressed his desire to continue working and to fight the disease in every possible way he could.  It wasn’t until the end when he finally lost his words and his emotions began to pour out.  A moment when he tried to make it clear that he intended to take time off to spend every possible moment he could with his children and wife, short as it might be, as if he needed any sort of permission from us to do so. 

That day it was clear that I would one day lose someone who has played a critical role in my life at too early a time.  It has been incredibly hard to not do everything I can to shut the thought out of my mind that things like this even exist.  That at times I feel ashamed because I force myself to stop thinking about Rich so that I can continue on without the pain that comes with such thoughts.  It isn’t until I come to my senses that I resort back to everything my family has taught me about empathy and how important it is that we forget who we are even for just a moment to allow ourselves to experience and understand what another must be feeling.  It is then I feel most compelled to do everything I can to help.

Still to this day Rich is as mentally strong and sharp as ever and continues to inspire me to never give up.  Though his body may be continually weakening and his speech worsening, the man Rich is today is no different from the one I will forever remember.

Brian