Team J.A.C.K. (Jacob, Abigail, Chris, Kelly) - For our beloved Chris

Everyone says that kids grow up in the blink of an eye, and to cherish every memory, every event, everything because you won't get those years back. June 2015: Two of my favorite memories are Abigail asking her kindergarten teacher to show Chris her classroom and projects while we were at her art show, the two of them bounding down the hall in excitement; and Jacob singing and dancing away his nursery school graduation while Chris and I smiled and laughed along with him, enjoying the show. Fast forward to early August: Chris is on the couch watching a movie with the kids, who lift his arms to cuddle because he can't. They help him drink  his shakes, putting the straw in his mouth. We have machines next to him and in the bedroom to help him breath and clear his lungs if he starts choking. There isn't much talking because it is a struggle for him.

This is ALS. In the blink of an eye it can take the people you love and turn your whole world upside down, and there is nothing you can do about it...yet. When Chris got his diagnosis, we met an amazing group of people at the ALS Association, doctors and nurses, nutritionists and therapists, and people  just there to help and support us. Every one of them wanted the same thing we did – to fight for Chris to have as much time as possible with us. We formed TEAM J.A.C.K. (Jacob, Abigail, Chris, and Kelly) to WALK TO DEFEAT ALS and fight with them.

We didn't get much time to fight together. On August 29, 2015, Chris lost his hardest fight to this most terrible disease. Our world flipped upside down. There would be no more daddy memories for Abigail and Jacob, who were 5 and just turned 4.

We walked our first walk three weeks after Chris was called Home, in September 2015. On September 23, 2023, we will walk our ninth walk, fight our ninth fight. We will not stop fighting, not until there is a cure for ALS so no one – no child, no parent, no spouse, no friend – has to suffer the loss of someone they love to ALS.

Let's FIGHT together. Team J.A.C.K. walks on September 23rd. Please join our team or make a donation.

Why We Need Your Help - A Little Info About ALS

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 join a walk today.