An Accommodating Home for Chad, Allen and Jackson

Chad McBride is a beloved father, husband, friend, teacher, and colleague--a man who consistently brings light, joy, and laughter to those fortunate enough to know him. Twelve years ago, Chad met Allen Saunders, and after same-sex marriage legalization they wed in 2015, and in early 2016 the proud dads welcomed their son Jackson who is now four. The Saunders-McBride family lives in Omaha, Nebraska where Chad is a Professor and Department Chair of Communication Studies at Creighton University while Allen works in Human Resources as he pursues a Master’s program to become a school counselor.

Chad, Allen, and Jackson now need our help. In January 2020, they received the devastating news that Chad has ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), or Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing the untimely death of neurons controlling voluntary muscles. Once ALS starts, it progresses on an uncertain timeline, eventually taking away the ability to walk, dress, write, speak, swallow, and breathe. The life expectancy of a person with ALS averages 2 to 5 years from the time of diagnosis and there is currently no cure for the disease. [For more information on ALS please visit: http://www.alsa.org/]

It is estimated that those who are diagnosed with ALS will have out of pocket expenses of over $200,000. This is where help is needed: we are fundraising to help offset costs to get the family into a ranch-style ADA compatible home so that Chad’s walker and wheelchair can safely maneuver. While they love their home of the past 10 years, it is not accessible or safe for Chad who has already fallen several times, and its issues will become more dangerous as his mobility continues to decline.

To help, please consider donating – if even a small amount - to this fund to help the Saunders-McBride family find and move to an accessible home. All donations will be applied to their down payment to help them manage the monthly mortgage when Chad is unable to continue in his beloved career as a professor. We all hope that this will be a long time from now, but the future is uncertain. As many have experienced first hand, Chad is a man who has always been generous with his time and resources. From helping friends move or paint, to providing childcare for friends and colleagues, to delivering food to new parents, to hosting milestone events for others, to loaning money, Chad has been there for many many of us. This is a time when we have the opportunity to give back in a way that will make a huge difference in the lives of the Saunders-McBride family. 

Let us help this family that so many of us know and love be able to make as many new memories as possible in a home that is safe for all of them.