Supporting Josh Trandall with his ALS battle
Donation protected
This summer started out like any other for Josh. He turned 50 in January, and he and embraced it. With his athleticism and competitive drive, he was looking forward to competing in the “Senior Games.” But, in May, he began noticing some loss of strength and tingling in his right calf. When the symptoms didn’t resolve and got progressively worse, he sought medical attention, thinking maybe it was a pinched nerve. After several appointments and agonizing waiting, he received the most devastating diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
ALS is a progressive disease to which there is currently no cure. In the few months since his symptoms began, he has nearly total paralysis in his right leg and moderate weakness in his left leg, making it difficult to get around and do the everyday things he loves to do. He currently needs a walker or wheelchair to get around. As the disease progresses, the coming months and years will be increasingly challenging with continued functionality loss until he experiences total paralysis, loss of speech, ability to swallow, ultimately resulting in his death. Typically, patients have a life-expectancy of between 2 and 5 years from onset of symptoms.
As if this is not troubling enough, the financial debt will be overwhelming, especially when he is no longer able to work and needs home health care. Somehow though all of this, Josh maintains the most positive attitude and incredible sense of humor.
We are setting up this fundraiser to help offset the substantial expenses of in-home medical care, medications, transportation needs, and the cost of making their home accessible, which will involve significant renovation to ensure that Josh is able to remain and be comfortable at home surrounded by family until the end.
Josh will be visiting Mayo Clinic to see if there is a trial that he is able to participate in, hoping part of the quest will be to find a better treatment or a cure. There is also a new ALS drug called Amylyx that may help slightly slow the progression of the disease and extend life expectancy by a few months, but it is several months until it will be available.
If you don’t know Josh, he is the most driven, competitive, and caring person you will likely meet. He’s a devoted husband, father, son, brother, and friend. He’s a Northern State University alumni, where he was an All-American and Hall of Fame track athlete. He graduated with his degree in education and eventually obtained his Masters degree. He and his wife, Marianne, have accomplished teaching careers with more than 25 years working with students. Their passion for learning included teaching abroad in the Marshall Islands and Paraguay and eventually brought them back home to teach at Huron High School, where he taught Spanish and was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2013.
Marianne is currently a Language Arts teacher at the high school, and Josh currently works for Northern State University as a distance learning teacher, teaching Spanish to high school students across the state. Because he’s able to teach from his home, we’re hopeful that he’ll be able to continue teaching as long as possible.
Josh and Marianne are the proudest parents to Jackson and Abigail. Jackson is currently in his Junior year, attending Dakota State University majoring in cyber operations. Abigail is a Senior at Huron High School and will be attending college next fall.
ALS is a progressive disease to which there is currently no cure. In the few months since his symptoms began, he has nearly total paralysis in his right leg and moderate weakness in his left leg, making it difficult to get around and do the everyday things he loves to do. He currently needs a walker or wheelchair to get around. As the disease progresses, the coming months and years will be increasingly challenging with continued functionality loss until he experiences total paralysis, loss of speech, ability to swallow, ultimately resulting in his death. Typically, patients have a life-expectancy of between 2 and 5 years from onset of symptoms.
As if this is not troubling enough, the financial debt will be overwhelming, especially when he is no longer able to work and needs home health care. Somehow though all of this, Josh maintains the most positive attitude and incredible sense of humor.
We are setting up this fundraiser to help offset the substantial expenses of in-home medical care, medications, transportation needs, and the cost of making their home accessible, which will involve significant renovation to ensure that Josh is able to remain and be comfortable at home surrounded by family until the end.
Josh will be visiting Mayo Clinic to see if there is a trial that he is able to participate in, hoping part of the quest will be to find a better treatment or a cure. There is also a new ALS drug called Amylyx that may help slightly slow the progression of the disease and extend life expectancy by a few months, but it is several months until it will be available.
If you don’t know Josh, he is the most driven, competitive, and caring person you will likely meet. He’s a devoted husband, father, son, brother, and friend. He’s a Northern State University alumni, where he was an All-American and Hall of Fame track athlete. He graduated with his degree in education and eventually obtained his Masters degree. He and his wife, Marianne, have accomplished teaching careers with more than 25 years working with students. Their passion for learning included teaching abroad in the Marshall Islands and Paraguay and eventually brought them back home to teach at Huron High School, where he taught Spanish and was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2013.
Marianne is currently a Language Arts teacher at the high school, and Josh currently works for Northern State University as a distance learning teacher, teaching Spanish to high school students across the state. Because he’s able to teach from his home, we’re hopeful that he’ll be able to continue teaching as long as possible.
Josh and Marianne are the proudest parents to Jackson and Abigail. Jackson is currently in his Junior year, attending Dakota State University majoring in cyber operations. Abigail is a Senior at Huron High School and will be attending college next fall.
Fundraising team: Team fundraiser (2)
Callie Trandall Brown
Organizer
Huron, SD
marianne trandall
Beneficiary
Josh Trandall
Team member
