#TeamNadia: 32 y.o. NAVY Veteran battling ALS

Our beloved daughter-in-law Nadia Sais Ladin (34 y.o.) was recently diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Nadia is a Navy veteran. She served four years with the US Navy where she met her husband, Chief Petty Officer Jordan Ladin. Together they have two children, Natalya (12) & Nathaniel (8). They are currently stationed in Montana where Jordan is a Navy recruiter. After Nadia’s treatment plan is established, they will be moving to Minnesota to be closer to the Minnesota VA, HCMC ALS Center of Excellence, Mayo Clinic, and family.

 

ALS is most common in persons over the age of 60. While ALS itself is rare with only 5,000 new cases per year in the US, it is particularly rare in females of Nadia’s age. Nadia began having symptoms two years ago when Jordan was stationed in West Virginia. After several misdiagnoses, she was finally seen at the Mayo Clinic and was given a firm confirmation that she has Sporadic ALS which means it is not due to genetics. Veterans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with ALS than those with no military service. There is no cure for ALS and the average life expectancy is 3-5 years.

 

Nadia is the most beautiful person, inside and out. She has the biggest heart and always sees the best in everyone. She has an adventurous spirit and loves the outdoors and animals. She loves to take family hikes and was an amazing photographer before she lost the strength in her hands to hold her camera. You can tell by her pictures that she views the world as a big, beautiful place to explore! She has a wicked sense of humor and a smile that lights up the world! But most of all, she is the best wife to Jordan and mother to Natty & Nathaniel.

 

We are #teamnadia all the way! It is our priority to support Nadia with dignity as she navigates this difficult diagnosis. Our hope is to raise funds to ease the stress of a cross-country move, medical bills, and countless other expenses that we cannot even fathom yet. Any additional funds will be put into trusts for the children. Thank you so much for listening to Nadia’s story and for supporting her. It is greatly appreciated.

 

To learn more about ALS, check out the documentary Gleason about former NFL player Steve Gleason.