As many of you may know, on September 25th, 2024, our mother, Gina Wessel, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) — a devastating and progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

The past year has been incredibly difficult for our family. It’s been a year of learning, adapting, understanding, and most importantly, patience. In just 12 months, our mom went from living a full and active life — walking, talking, eating, and playing with her grandkids — to now being wheelchair-bound and unable to speak or eat on her own.

If you’re wondering why it’s taken us a year to share this, it’s because asking for help simply isn’t in the Wessel nature — and definitely not in our mother’s. If she knew we were writing this, she’d probably tell us to stop immediately and not to “bother” anyone. But the truth is, we need help — and we know that many of you love and care for her just as much as we do.

Our Dad has taken on the role of full-time caretaker — a responsibility that is as emotionally demanding as it is physical. He takes care of every part of our Mom’s daily life — from feeding her through a tube and helping her communicate, to ensuring her comfort, managing endless appointments, and most importantly, making sure she still gets to spend time with her children and grandchildren, which brings her so much joy. His love and commitment to her are unwavering, but it’s an exhausting journey, and one that no one can or should have to take alone.

We’re setting up this GoFundMe to help ease some of the financial and emotional burdens that come with this disease. Funds will go directly toward the growing costs of care — including specialized medical equipment, in-home nursing support, accessible home modifications, and transportation needs.

Most importantly, it will help ensure that our Dad can continue to care for Mom without sacrificing his own health and well-being.

Every donation, no matter the size, makes a difference. Even sharing this page helps us more than you know. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for reading, for caring, and for supporting our family through this unimaginable time.