Support Darrin in his healing journey

Update: Darrin passed away 9/10/24 with Karen by his side. Thank you all so much for your generosity and support. A small donation to assist with funeral arrangements is greatly appreciated.

This fundraiser is to benefit Darrin Shupp, who was recently diagnosed with ALS. His wife, Karen, has served our community as a physical therapist and has been my colleague for many years. Darrin has come along side many of us as the Grab Bar Guy! Here is the story of Darrin and Karen...

From Karen:

Darrin and I have been married only 8 years. We found each other later in life, yet it was as if we had known each other forever from day one. We both wanted to help people with disabilities, which I had been doing for over four decades as a physical therapist. Darrin became an expert in handicap home adaptations, becoming known as The Grab Bar Guy. Little did we know that soon he would be looking at his own home and lifestyle changes.

May 8, 2024 was a day of change for us. After a full year of symptoms developing and no answers after multiple tests, Darrin was finally given the diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Most people experience weakness in the arms or legs first. But about 25% are bulbar onset ALS, in which the brain stem is affected first, interfering with function of muscles of the face, head, and neck. Early on, Darrin noted difficulty swallowing, breathing and talking. He had also already lost over 50 pounds of muscle. These are all common early-stage symptoms, which lead to rapid decline in quality of life and shortened life expectancy.

However, we are encouraged that there are many treatments outside the mainstream medical model. We have knowledge and belief in more natural, homeopathic and spiritual methods of healing that have been proven effective. By the proper mind, body, heart and spirit support, the gift of self-healing was given to us all by the Divine Creator. Some of these treatment centers and practitioners are expensive, and Darrin is already needing some breathing support due to the rapid progression of his symptoms. While we also navigate within the mainstream medical system, we need funding and support during this challenging journey. We have no health insurance, and Darrin has not worked for almost a year. The application for Medicare disability is in process, but it is known to take months to reach completion. Darrin does not have months to wait for needed healing. This is why this campaign was created. Your support will assist in much needed equipment, travel and treatment fees that have already been indicated for a successful healing journey. We extend the highest gratitude for any donation to this fund. Bless you and thank you for your time!