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Our son Jack will never know his grandfather, because ALS took him from us two months before Jack was born.

Pop had always been vibrant and active, but had really started slowing down about a year or so before he died. Being in his 70s, he just chalked it up to "old age and dry rot", but after a few months, it became obvious that something else was afoot. He had various doctor's appointments in an effort to diagnose what was wrong, but nothing really nailed it down; osteoporosis, compression fractures of the vertebrae due to the OP, urinary tract infection, etc... Each time, treatment was applied but no real improvement came out of them. Finally, his GP suggested visiting a neurologist. Mom and Pop, met with him in his office and described everything that had been ailing him the previous year or so, what the various other doctors had diagnosed, and the treatments he received. The whole time, he was observing; asking specific questions when appropriate, cataloging the answers, but most of all: watching. When he was done with the interview, he told Dad he had already narrowed it down to one of two things: a brain tumor or ALS. Dad went for the tests and we all waited for the results. That Saturday, Dad went to sleep and never woke up. Mom got a call from the doctor's office later in the week and they confirmed the diagnosis of ALS.

Watching Pop go from being this guy in his early 70s who still mowed his own lawn, did most of his own home repairs and worked a part-time job at an assisted living facility where some of the tenants were younger than he was to being a stooped, shuffling old man who needed a walker to get from the living room to the kitchen was heartbreaking. I don't think anyone should have to go through that or watch a loved one go through it.

 On December 11th, John and I (with Jack's help)  will be participating The ALS Association’s Ride to Defeat. I have recently accepted the challenge to raise funds to help the Association accelerate the discovery of the cause and cure of Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and to provide programs and services that are so desperately needed by ALS patients and their families. 

I need your support. I am asking for your support by making a gift to The ALS Association or by joining my team as a rider in the Ride to Defeat ALS.

It is faster and easier than ever to support this great cause by making your tax-deductible donation online by clicking on the "make a donation" button.

You may also choose to send your contribution in the form of a check. Please make all checks payable to The ALS Association Florida Chapter and send them to me or directly to The ALS Association at the following address:

The ALS Association Florida Chapter
ATTN: Ride to Defeat ALS
3242 Parkside Center Circle
Tampa, FL 33619

Why We Need Your Help

Imagine: as you are busy with your career, your family, and your community responsibilities, you become unable to speak well. You fall inexplicably. You have trouble picking up papers or using a pen. You tire very easily. You seek medical counsel, but are given no satisfactory answers. If you can imagine this, then you start to understand the beginnings of ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Unfortunately, it gets much worse. Relatively quickly, usually within two years, the patient becomes unable to speak, to move, to swallow. Finally, the patient becomes unable to breathe. Most patients die within five years. Yet, through it all, for the vast majority of patients, their minds remain unaffected. Essentially the ALS patient's mind is trapped inside a helpless body.

Thank you again for supporting me in the fight against ALS.

Why We Need Your Help!

Often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease that slowly robs the body of its ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe. The life expectancy of an ALS patient averages 2 to 5 years from the time of diagnosis.

Every 90 minutes a person in this country is diagnosed with ALS and every 90 minutes another person will lose their battle against this disease. ALS occurs throughout the world with no racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic boundaries.

This crippling disease can strike anyone. Presently there is no known cause of the disease though support is bringing researchers closer to an answer. In the mean time it costs an average of $200,000 a year to provide the care ALS patients need. Help make a difference and donate or ride today!

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