Help Bette Fight and Live with ALS
Donation protected
Hi everyone. This is Becky, Bette’s middle daughter. We (my siblings- Emilly, Jesse, and Jacob, my Dad-Kerry, my aunt-Aunt Doreen, and I) are starting this GoFundMe for her. I am about to share her story and have to preface it by telling you that this is the most difficult thing I have ever written. Please bear with me.
On May 14th of this year, our lives changed. My mom’s neurologist, who had been trying to find the root cause of her increasing pain and recent disability to walk without help, told her his diagnosis: ALS. It was the disease that we’d kept hoping and praying would NOT be the one she had. Some of you may know, that my mom’s oldest sister, Susan, died of ALS 1995. The acronym ALS was not new to us, and we kept holding out hope that mom’s condition was something we could medicate and possibly reverse. We knew that if it was ALS, we would not have those options. Her neurologist then told us that because there is no test for ALS, and because he came to the diagnosis by Rule of Elimination, we should seek a second opinion. Thankfully he referred her to internationally known Dr. Jonathan Glass and Dr. Christina Fournier, the best ALS doctors in Atlanta. We held on to that hope for a month while we waited for her next appointment. Maybe her neurologist was wrong. Maybe the new doctors would tell us that it was all a mistake and we’d keep on trying to figure out what was going on. However, on June 14th, Mom had her appointment with Dr. Fournier at the Emory ALS Center and Dr. Fournier confirmed the heartbreaking diagnosis of ALS, Familial ALS to be exact. So, here we are today.... struggling with the realization of what ALS is: how specifically and how quickly will my mom’s health, safety, and quality of life deteriorate?
For those who don’t know, ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. In short, the disease causes motor-neurons to die and the brain to lose ability to initiate and control muscle movement. This means the ability to move, speak, eat and eventually breathe will become increasingly difficult, and then cease to happen. Familial ALS (FALS) is caused by an inherited mutated gene. Currently, my mom is waiting on results from genetic testing to see if they can identify her mutated gene. We’re hoping they do identify it, because that would mean mom would be put into one of two clinical trials that are finding ways to turn off the gene. It’s amazing what they are discovering with all the research that is being done. Remember the ice bucket challenge that was big a few years ago? Well, a substantial amount of money was raised that led to doctors being able to do this kind of research.,the kind that might possibly lead to significant help for my mom and everyone else out there with this awful disease. There is a lot of information and research being done on ALS, and I encourage everyone to go to www.alsa.org to find out more information. Right now there is no cure, but there are amazing doctors doing amazing things trying to find one.
Our fight NOW is to help our mom with obtaining medical equipment and the in home care that she needs; some now, some in the near future. All of it can be extremely expensive. Our goal is to continue the quality of life my mom has now for as long as possible. Through recent generosities, we’ve been able to acquire a Rollator walker, and transport wheelchair. We will soon need much more; a power wheel chair, stair lift, hospital grade bed, Hoyer lift, a handicap accessible van- just to name a few.
One of the research nurses at the Emory ALS Center said to me, “We may not have a lot to offer, as far as medications and such, but what we do have is a tight-knit community of people dedicated to helping each other fight this disease.’ Our family has just begun this journey, and we’ve already met so many amazing people in this fight. I’m thankful for the wonderful doctors, the people who work with the ALS Association, the PALS and CALS we’ve met at the support groups, and so many more. We’ve had friends reach out with people to connect with, offers to help with getting to appointments, and of course love and support from all. This means to world to my mom, our family and me. Thank you all! My mom is the most dedicated wife, supportive mother, a loving grandma, and an amazing friend to all. She has always been the heart and soul, the rock of our family. It’s our turn to be her rock.
On behalf of my family, we THANK YOU for joining our fight and helping mom LIVE with ALS.
Sincerely,
Kerry, Emilly, Jesse, Jacob, Doreen, and Becky
On May 14th of this year, our lives changed. My mom’s neurologist, who had been trying to find the root cause of her increasing pain and recent disability to walk without help, told her his diagnosis: ALS. It was the disease that we’d kept hoping and praying would NOT be the one she had. Some of you may know, that my mom’s oldest sister, Susan, died of ALS 1995. The acronym ALS was not new to us, and we kept holding out hope that mom’s condition was something we could medicate and possibly reverse. We knew that if it was ALS, we would not have those options. Her neurologist then told us that because there is no test for ALS, and because he came to the diagnosis by Rule of Elimination, we should seek a second opinion. Thankfully he referred her to internationally known Dr. Jonathan Glass and Dr. Christina Fournier, the best ALS doctors in Atlanta. We held on to that hope for a month while we waited for her next appointment. Maybe her neurologist was wrong. Maybe the new doctors would tell us that it was all a mistake and we’d keep on trying to figure out what was going on. However, on June 14th, Mom had her appointment with Dr. Fournier at the Emory ALS Center and Dr. Fournier confirmed the heartbreaking diagnosis of ALS, Familial ALS to be exact. So, here we are today.... struggling with the realization of what ALS is: how specifically and how quickly will my mom’s health, safety, and quality of life deteriorate?
For those who don’t know, ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. In short, the disease causes motor-neurons to die and the brain to lose ability to initiate and control muscle movement. This means the ability to move, speak, eat and eventually breathe will become increasingly difficult, and then cease to happen. Familial ALS (FALS) is caused by an inherited mutated gene. Currently, my mom is waiting on results from genetic testing to see if they can identify her mutated gene. We’re hoping they do identify it, because that would mean mom would be put into one of two clinical trials that are finding ways to turn off the gene. It’s amazing what they are discovering with all the research that is being done. Remember the ice bucket challenge that was big a few years ago? Well, a substantial amount of money was raised that led to doctors being able to do this kind of research.,the kind that might possibly lead to significant help for my mom and everyone else out there with this awful disease. There is a lot of information and research being done on ALS, and I encourage everyone to go to www.alsa.org to find out more information. Right now there is no cure, but there are amazing doctors doing amazing things trying to find one.
Our fight NOW is to help our mom with obtaining medical equipment and the in home care that she needs; some now, some in the near future. All of it can be extremely expensive. Our goal is to continue the quality of life my mom has now for as long as possible. Through recent generosities, we’ve been able to acquire a Rollator walker, and transport wheelchair. We will soon need much more; a power wheel chair, stair lift, hospital grade bed, Hoyer lift, a handicap accessible van- just to name a few.
One of the research nurses at the Emory ALS Center said to me, “We may not have a lot to offer, as far as medications and such, but what we do have is a tight-knit community of people dedicated to helping each other fight this disease.’ Our family has just begun this journey, and we’ve already met so many amazing people in this fight. I’m thankful for the wonderful doctors, the people who work with the ALS Association, the PALS and CALS we’ve met at the support groups, and so many more. We’ve had friends reach out with people to connect with, offers to help with getting to appointments, and of course love and support from all. This means to world to my mom, our family and me. Thank you all! My mom is the most dedicated wife, supportive mother, a loving grandma, and an amazing friend to all. She has always been the heart and soul, the rock of our family. It’s our turn to be her rock.
On behalf of my family, we THANK YOU for joining our fight and helping mom LIVE with ALS.
Sincerely,
Kerry, Emilly, Jesse, Jacob, Doreen, and Becky
Fundraising team: Smile With Your Heart (7)
Becky O'Meara
Organizer
Peachtree Corners, GA
Bette Dodd
Beneficiary
Jacob Dodd
Team member
Emilly Dodd
Team member
Jesse Dodd
Team member
Kerry Dodd
Team member
