Support Mary Thorlton's Fight Against ALS

Hello, I am Deb Pete, raising funds for a friend/coworker, that is very near to my heart. I have known Mary Thorlton for most of her 40 years, worked with her in Healthcare for 24 years. Mary was recently diagnosed with ALS/Lou Gehrigs disease, which has left her unable to work. I am hoping to be able to assist her with her medical expenses, and her wish to purchase a used handicap vehicle to allow her ease of transportation to appointments as well as outings to maintain her quality of life.

Mary, at the young age of 40, was diagnosed with the terminal illness of ALS/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, otherwise known as Lou Gehrigs' Disease. This is a rare, progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. There is no cure or significant treatment of this disease. As Friends and Family know, Mary began her CNA career at the age of 16 and has continued providing love and support to the Elderly and Memory Impaired population. Now Mary needs the Support and Love from those around her.

Marys' journey began in Sept of 2023, with sproadic weakness and numbness to her right leg and foot. These symptoms were easy to shrug off as back/muscle strain related to her career in caregiving and recent strain COVID put on the Healthcare System. Marys' symptoms became more consistent in Nov at which time she scheduled care with her Primary Physician in Dec and then scheduled for further labs and MRI in Jan, to rule out Multiple Sclerosis as a cause of her symptoms. Mary was then referred to a Neurologist in Feb for further testing. ALS has no definitive testing you go through a series of testing to rule out other causes of your symptoms. It was on March 21st, that Mary was given her ALS diagnosis, and then transferred to UW Neurology for closer monitoring of her disease. Her final DX was confirmed on April 18th. THERE IS NO CURE FOR THIS DISEASE! Mary began having difficulty walking and falls resulting in trips to the hospital for her injuries. Her last day at work, the job she has loved for the past 24 yrs, was March 29th.

Mary is currently making arrangements to move back home with her parents, who will be her primary care team as her disease progresses. This is not a easy process, as it involves modifications to her parents' home, which include a ramp into the home, wider doorways inside the home, as well as a handicap environment to help Mary be as independent as possible. Thank you to St Vincent DePaul for help in finding equipment and safety devices needed at this time and in the future. Mary will continue to therapies with hopes to maintain some muscle strength for as long as she is able. She will also be attending her Care Team appts at UW Neurology in Maison. As of now, Mary is having mobility issues due to her muscle weakness and foot drop in both legs, with calf cramping. Both of her arms are showing weakness and difficulty grasping with her right hand. She is easy to fatigue, at which time she does experience weakness of the spine. With all this being said, we are looking for assistance to help financially with her care needs, as well as the purchase of a handicap accessible vehicle, allowing her parents to continue to transport her to Drs appointments, therapies and outings to maintain her Quality of Life.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE AND PLEASE SHARE THIS LINK TO HELP INCREASE AWARENSS OF HER JOURNEY!