TLDR: Please donate

There’s this club that we’ll all join eventually, but the entrance fee is steep. Really steep. The loss of a parent.

I’m in that club. So is my brother, my friend, Scott Holzberg. And my sister in life Nikki Maizel.

Scotty and I met freshman year of college. We clicked over so many shared interests, but one bond ran deeper than the rest: while my mom was sick (not ALS, but with a similar feel), his father, Norman, was living with ALS.

Norman was extraordinary. Even when on a ventilator, he never lost his joy, for music (Brrrruuuuuce!), for sports, and most of all, for his family. His everything.

Our friendship formed while our parents were slowly dying.

Years later, my best friend from childhood found love with Nikki, a superhero in real life. Nikki became family. And when her stepfather Gerry was diagnosed with ALS, and later passed, this insidious disease circled back into my life once again.I walk for Norman.

I walk for Gerry.I walk for my mom, Marcia.I walk for everyone in this club of ours.

This Sunday, I’ll be walking alongside Scott at the Walk to Defeat ALS. I want to raise as much as I possibly can. Yes, I’m competitive, but also because this disease is just brutal.Before this art career of mine found me, I worked in healthcare. I specialized in ALS care. It's just awful. And still, there is no known cause. No cure.If you’re able, I’d be so grateful for your donation — truly, any amount helps. And if you feel moved to share this, I’d love you even more for it.

More about ALS:

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 average life expectancy is 2–5 years from diagnosis. It can strike anyone, at any time.Your donation helps fund care for those living with ALS, support for their families, research toward new treatments — and hopefully, one day, a cure.

Thank you. I love you.