Life's A Pitch!

Knowing that someone you love has been diagnosed with a terminal illness is a feeling that cannot be explained into words.

Many of you know our dad Joe as the big, strong, wonderful man that he is. Whether he is your family, was your teammate, your coach, your co-worker during his teaching days, or just a friend he made along the way the last 68 years, you always knew you could count on him to help...and if Joe couldn't help he always could find someone else who could. Well now the man you could always depend on needs you.

In February of this year our father started to feel weakness in his left hand while performing everyday daily tasks – 6 months later after multiple doctors visits, therapy, and tests he was diagnosed with a motor neuron disease – more commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neuro-degenerative disease that affect nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord leading to wasting of the muscles, paralysis and death. There are few minimally effective treatments currently available to attempt to slow down the progression of the disease but no known cure.

While we have all heard stem cells are the future of medicine, the US unfortunately does not offer any stem cell treatments for ALS. There is a phase III clinical trial of stem cell treatment for ALS called NurOwn by Brainstorm which is showing great promise, however our dad is excluded due to an age criteria.

With some guidance, we have been in touch with some of the finest doctors in the world that are performing a similar treatment to NurOwn. They are not only prolonging the life of people with ALS, but actually bettering their quality of life. Since the US currently does not permit this type of treatment, we are forced to go outside the US until NurOwn is hopefully approved in the near future.

The process is costly as they are extracting and harvesting autologous stem cells from Dad and then infusing them back into his body allowing them to re-populate damage areas of the brain, spinal cord and muscles to help decrease progression. This treatment is needed every 3-4 months. While not a cure, it is a way to hopefully continue living a good quality life.

We are not promised anything, but are willing to take a chance and try. Our father has everything to live for...especially to see his two little grandchildren grow up. If anyone deserves this miracle, this beautiful man does. Please consider helping us help our dad.....

“And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you just don't give up” Stephen Hawkins.