It started about 5 years ago...Dad died. He was diagnosed with ALS and we knew then that there was no cure. That also meant that his four children had a chance of getting this debilitating disease. Of course, my reality became so when I started feeling some numbness in my legs last Spring. You see, I was a milk delivery driver and had to do lots of bending and lifting many crates and boxes on a daily basis. Little did I know that those pains in my legs were the beginning symptoms of ALS. I worked this way for a few weeks and in May of 2014, I ended up in the ER due to weakness in my legs. This meant I was no longer going to be able to work. My last day of work was June 29, 2014. Meanwhile, testing and other visits to the doctor in order to determine what was wrong with me were forthcoming. Then, the diagnosis followed on August 14, 2014. This diagnoses came about only because my own father lost this battle, so genetics played a crucial part.

This meant that I was going to lose my independence. As my body continued to weaken, I was no longer able to drive. Balance was a problem and lack of it would cause me to fall many times. Fast forward to this past Fall, when I had a feeding tube put in and am confined to a hospital bed in my apartment. In October, 2014 I was given a breathing machine that I have to rely on 24-7. This has taken over my life completely. I can talk with intermittent breaths in between words. I can no longer feed myself or lift my limbs. I know my time is near, but with all of this, I am trying to keep my faith in God.

What makes this even more difficult is that my wife and son have been my caretakers throughout this battle. You see, I was the sole provider for my family. My son, who is now a senior in high school was fortunate to have his mother there for him throughout his school years while I worked. We always spent time together and did things together as a trio. Now this has totally changed our lives. My wife is now the person that has to help change me, feed me, bathe me, and support me every minute of every day that I am able to be here. We struggle emotionally because we have to depend on other people to relieve my wife because she can’t run a simple errand or cook a meal without worrying about my breathing machine malfunctioning at any random moment. This is just too much for all of us.

Meanwhile, we are dealing with some tenant/landlord issues and our landlord wants us out of the apartment before the end of April. He is preparing to sell the property and we are ready to oblige, but trying to find an apartment we can afford with our limited financial resources that is also on a lower level for easier accessibility in case of emergency has been ever so difficult. My wife can’t go look for employment because she is with me all day. We have medical bills that we can barely cover and expenses that continue to come up due to my illness. All we ask is for a miracle that will help my “family trio”!

For those that don’t know about ALS, here is a brief description from the ALS Association website.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope you are compelled to donate to my cause for me and my family. I hope that there is a cure for ALS some day. Peace and Blessings to you!