Up until now, our brother Steve has been fairly private about his health journey, but with his permission, we’re sharing his story more publicly.

Just a year ago, Steve Richardson was a very active, healthy 46-year-old. He lifted weights several days a week, enjoyed his job as an elementary school teacher, and looked forward to summers camping with his family. A pastor for most of his adult life, Steve also looked forward to more opportunities to get involved in ministry and serve his community.

Steve and his wife Erin have three children, ages 19, 17, and 14. His oldest just left home for University this fall.

A life-altering diagnosis

Today, Steve is significantly limited in how far he can walk. On most days, he can manage short distances at home, but even with a cane or walker, his legs quickly feel heavy—almost like concrete. While he can sometimes manage very short distances, these brief efforts often come at a cost, and he is unable to sustain activity without significant fatigue or flare-ups. Walking in a grocery store or sustaining activity outside the home is no longer possible. Even sitting for long periods leaves him exhausted. Overexertion can trigger flare-ups that worsen his symptoms and may even lead to recurrent rhabdomyolysis. and he is unable to sustain activity without significant fatigue or flare-ups.

Steve has been given a provisional diagnosis of metabolic myopathy, a term that covers a class of rare genetic neuromuscular disorders. While different from more commonly known conditions like ALS or muscular dystrophy, these disorders share many features, including muscle weakness and loss of function. He is hopeful that further genetic testing will help his providers pinpoint the precise diagnosis and give him a clearer picture of what to expect in the coming months.

Steve had his first episode of rhabdomyolysis in March 2025. Prior to this, he was able to run 5K regularly. Since then, he has experienced two additional bouts of rhabdo and now sometimes struggles to walk across the room. On one point his neurologist was clear: he should not expect to return to his previous state of health. Each flare-up also carries the potential to worsen his overall condition, and the exact triggers are still unknown.

To further complicate things, Steve has had recurrent episodes of atrial fibrillation this year requiring cardioversions to restore his heart rhythm. The stress of living with these limitations may be contributing to these heart issues, and his providers are still evaluating how the two conditions may be connected.

As you can imagine, this new reality has been difficult to come to terms with. For Steve, the unknowns and the lack of a precise diagnosis and prognosis are particularly challenging.

A life of service

As many of you know, Steve has dedicated much of his life to serving his community—volunteering with seniors as a teen, working in group homes with developmentally disabled individuals, volunteering in street ministries, almost two decades as a pastor, and most recently as an elementary school teacher.

To know Steve is to know someone whose life has been marked by empathy and compassion, especially for those facing challenging circumstances.

As a community, we want him to know how loved and supported he is and to reach out with the same love and compassion he has given so freely.

How you can help

Steve and his family would greatly appreciate your prayers and messages of support. For those able to contribute, we are hoping to raise enough to help offset some of these financial burdens.

While there are many unknowns, we anticipate Steve and his family will have significant financial needs in the coming months, including but not limited to:

Our heartfelt thank you to all who have reached out with messages of love and support since we first shared this news, and with financial donations to Steve and his family. Your prayers, gifts, and messages have meant so much to all of us.

Thank you,

Kate Rigall and Basil Richardson

David and Diane Richardson (our parents)