Support Denise's Battle with ALS Expenses

My Friend Denise Is Dying From ALS... Please Help Her Husband Shannon With Expenses

ALS Nightmare:

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), aka Lou Gehrig’s Disease is a progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease that slowly robs the body of its ability to walk, speak, swallow, and breathe. The life expectancy for someone with ALS averages two to five years from diagnosis. While ALS can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, nationality, or ethnicity, it primarily strikes adults. Military and Police have a 50 percent higher rate of occurrence. Currently, there is no known cause or cure.

It all started a few years ago. Denise started showing unusual medical issues that doctors could not pinpoint root causes. She was sent to many specialist and was diagnosed with Celiac disease among other things. However, even after she stopped eating gluten; medical conditions continued to develop, including performing a swallow test which showed signs of dysfunction. Having her throat stretched to enable better swallowing and reduce choking on food. Something that they believed was caused by the Celiac disease. Fast forward to September, 2024. Tragically Denise was officially diagnosed with ALS and sadly it has progressed very rapidly. As of July 2025, Denise is in a Hospice Facility unable to move her limbs or eat any food- She will leave this earth in the near future.

Denise loved people, loved life and loved animals. She was many things to many people but a friend to all. She was a Police Detective, a Deputy Sheriff, Armed Guard, Private Investigator, a Paralegal, a Horse and Mule trainer, Master Scuba Diver, and more.

To better assist Denise with her ALS; modifications where performed to her living environment. Unfortunately, it seemed that has fast as one thing was modified, it was time to adjust or update it due to her ALS progression. Things like purchasing a lift recliner to an adjustable bed; modified dishes, pillows, and even her clothing (lack of arm movements, lack of being able to tie shoes, etc). Wheelchairs and walkers, breathing machines to suction devices, nerve massages to clinical drug trials.

Denise applied for Medicare but was denied twice- even though ALS is an automatic approval for Medicare. Denise has plenty of work credits for social security, but because she went back to school and stayed home to help her husband, she did not have work credits within the past five years. This makes her ineligible for Social Security Disability benefits but should not make her ineligible for Medicare. However, that did not stop the government from denying her Medicare.

Denise is a loving wife who spent many years assisting her husband with different rehabilitation's due to his many surgeries including a spinal fusion from T10 to Pelvis in 2019. This left her husband unemployed and unable to gainfully work. Her husband is a disabled veteran.

Seeking assistance with medical bills, cremation and memorial costs. The financial burden of managing ALS is significant. From medical expenses to specialized equipment and home modifications, the costs can quickly become overwhelming. According to the ALS foundation, the average out-of-pocket cost to care for someone with ALS is $250,000 per year. The good news is that Denise’s out-of-pocket is not that high. Assistance from friends and family have made a huge difference.