My Story

Hello, my name is Greg Sealey. I am a 60-year-old male living in Georgia. I have lived my whole life with a debilitating disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). The disease affects the motor neurons in my central nervous system, leaving me with limited mobility. SMA is a progressive disease with no known cure. It limits my mobility even more with each passing year. I am blessed to live an extraordinary life. This life is one of dependence on others for assistance in nearly every activity. My parents were the bedrock of that support throughout my life. They devoted their entire lives to caring for me and helping me participate as best as possible in everyday life.

Despite my disability, I have earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Information Technology and have had a rewarding 30-year career in IT. I am thankful for everything I have experienced in this extraordinary life of mine.

In recent years, however, my disability progressed to the point that I had to take a medical leave and begin retirement early. In addition to no longer being able to work, I have also experienced another significant loss with my parents' recent deaths. Their death instantly thrust me into a new world of depending on paid caregivers to help me through each day. But, honestly, this drastic life change has become a wonderful part of my life story. God has blessed me with five wonderful caregivers devoted to my well-being. They care for me each day by dressing me, preparing food and feeding me, positioning me in my chair during the day and bed at night whenever needed, and assisting me in my toileting and personal hygiene needs. I honestly could not hope for a better place to be than where I am today, despite being apart from my parents. I am well cared for. Yes, I am thankful for this life. I am truly blessed and consider myself to be in a good place.

My Need

The challenge I am facing, however, is to continue staying in my home while covering my ongoing caregiver costs. The cost of paying my five caregivers is roughly $195,000 per year. My income sources cannot sustain this level of expense. I have considered selling my house and transitioning to an assisted living facility. But, due to my severe physical limitations, an assisted living facility is not an option since they have specific requirements that I cannot meet, like getting into and out of bed independently. That leaves skilled nursing facilities as my only real alternative. Honestly, with the exceptional care I receive today from my caregivers, I hope to avoid that kind of move as long as my health allows me to live here in my home. Finding assistance in paying my yearly $195,000 caregiver expense will enable me to achieve my goal of staying in my house for as long as possible.

My Request

I kindly request that you consider donating to my GoFundMe account. I must raise $195,000 to cover just one year of caregiver expenses. I realize that this is a sizable goal to reach. So, I will begin with an initial goal of $16,000 as my starting point. The need is enormous, no matter how I break it down. That is why I am seeking your help. So, honestly, any donation amount, regardless of size — whether recurring or one-time — is greatly appreciated. Hopefully, I will meet this need through the generous collective gifts of people like you. Please help me in this new phase of living my extraordinary life.

Life is Good, No Matter What,

Greg