The Cochran Family & ALS
Donation protected
Our Dad’s ALS Fight to Live:
Please support the strong father of 4 devoted children. In September 2015, Andrew Cochran was diagnosed with ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. This is a progressive neurodegenerative illness that attacks nerve cells in the brain, paralyzing victims, eventually seizing their lives.
Since then, we have closed the doors of Woodcraft Sign Shoppe Inc. of 15 years in business. This was not an easy decision to make but in a way it was... Our Dad wanted and needed to conserve his energy for his family. Putting our trust in God to get us through each day.
We are the children of Andy Cochran, a man known to spread joy to everyone he became acquainted with. Even after the diagnosis, the willingness our father shows to keep our spirits up during this time is truly tremendous. He has not been defeated by this vicious ailment. His continuous modesty gives us the strength to carry on. We are strong, but not strong enough to be able to surmount the treatments, medications, specialist visits.
We are Tim, Ashley, Mitchell, and Austin Cochran. Our father has helped us accomplish many goals and we would like to accomplish one for him. Each of us has prepared thoughts explaining how much our father truly meant to us.
Tim: “How devastating to see your hero, someone you considered invincible, beaten down physically and emotionally without being able to fight back.... Even back to my earliest memories, my dad has seemed larger than life to me. His peers have told me, that even as a teenager, he looked like a man amongst boys. Unbelievable physical strength. But what makes this man even more special is the strength of his heart, shown through love he expresses to his family and friends. Doesn't hold a candle to any physical attribute.”
Ashley: “I'm a daddy's girl, always have been and always will be. Over the years my dad has been my strength, my shoulder to cry on and my supporter, no matter what. He has taught me the value of a smile, a laugh, and how being kind to others goes farther than anything else.
I was thinking of him this morning and with the holidays coming up I was filled with Christmas memories. I realized today how selfish I have been over the years, with the gifts I wanted or the things I just needed to have. I can tell you this today with all the honesty in my heart, if I could trade it all, the gifts the money the excitement of opening presents on Christmas morning, for my dad's health and my parents life long happiness, I would do it in a heartbeat.”
Mitchell: “My whole life I have looked at dad and how he has treated people and how people have treated him, and I can honestly say I have never seen someone say hello or goodbye without a smile on their face. He has such energy with him that people notice. His smile is contagious and his laughter is unforgettable. I remember being so mad that I didn't want to talk to anyone and dad would come over and talk to me, and not even 5 minutes of talking I couldn't remember what I was so worked up about. To see my dad suffering today is by far the hardest thing in my life to grasp.”
Austin: “That day in September was an awful gut-punch of a day. Hugs were given. Tears were shed. And on that day, we all had to accept that life is indeed not fair and that things were about to change dramatically for our family. Even through the diagnosis, even through the muscle loss, and even through the slurred speech, our father shows us his perseverance. My brothers and sister and mother and myself, we go through these days of the disease scared/shaken/saddened/furious, but not him. No not him. He keeps us laughing. He keeps us lifted. THAT is the kind of man he is. The medical expenses are going to pile up as the disease progresses. We know that much. But part of the main reason we are setting up this account for our father is to allow him to live the rest of his time happy. We want him to be able to close his sign-making business of sixteen years, and travel. Before ALS rears its ugly head, which is not far down the road, we wish for our father to not have to worry over finances. We wish to return some of the happiness he has shared with us.”
*We wish for our father to be able to live his remaining days without worry over financial burden and rather enjoy life. And also for him not to worry over medical costs that the disease will bring.
We come to you humbly, baring our hearts and souls, asking for your patronage. Thank you all, so very much!
___________________________________________________________
**Our parents made a tough decision to end their life insurance not long before the diagnosis, in a means to get by financially, and in a twist of events our father is now unable to recieve life insurance due to the disease and the diagnosis. Some of the funds will be going toward the inevitable outcome ALS brings with it, as much as it pains us to write this portion.
Please support the strong father of 4 devoted children. In September 2015, Andrew Cochran was diagnosed with ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. This is a progressive neurodegenerative illness that attacks nerve cells in the brain, paralyzing victims, eventually seizing their lives.
Since then, we have closed the doors of Woodcraft Sign Shoppe Inc. of 15 years in business. This was not an easy decision to make but in a way it was... Our Dad wanted and needed to conserve his energy for his family. Putting our trust in God to get us through each day.
We are the children of Andy Cochran, a man known to spread joy to everyone he became acquainted with. Even after the diagnosis, the willingness our father shows to keep our spirits up during this time is truly tremendous. He has not been defeated by this vicious ailment. His continuous modesty gives us the strength to carry on. We are strong, but not strong enough to be able to surmount the treatments, medications, specialist visits.
We are Tim, Ashley, Mitchell, and Austin Cochran. Our father has helped us accomplish many goals and we would like to accomplish one for him. Each of us has prepared thoughts explaining how much our father truly meant to us.
Tim: “How devastating to see your hero, someone you considered invincible, beaten down physically and emotionally without being able to fight back.... Even back to my earliest memories, my dad has seemed larger than life to me. His peers have told me, that even as a teenager, he looked like a man amongst boys. Unbelievable physical strength. But what makes this man even more special is the strength of his heart, shown through love he expresses to his family and friends. Doesn't hold a candle to any physical attribute.”
Ashley: “I'm a daddy's girl, always have been and always will be. Over the years my dad has been my strength, my shoulder to cry on and my supporter, no matter what. He has taught me the value of a smile, a laugh, and how being kind to others goes farther than anything else.
I was thinking of him this morning and with the holidays coming up I was filled with Christmas memories. I realized today how selfish I have been over the years, with the gifts I wanted or the things I just needed to have. I can tell you this today with all the honesty in my heart, if I could trade it all, the gifts the money the excitement of opening presents on Christmas morning, for my dad's health and my parents life long happiness, I would do it in a heartbeat.”
Mitchell: “My whole life I have looked at dad and how he has treated people and how people have treated him, and I can honestly say I have never seen someone say hello or goodbye without a smile on their face. He has such energy with him that people notice. His smile is contagious and his laughter is unforgettable. I remember being so mad that I didn't want to talk to anyone and dad would come over and talk to me, and not even 5 minutes of talking I couldn't remember what I was so worked up about. To see my dad suffering today is by far the hardest thing in my life to grasp.”
Austin: “That day in September was an awful gut-punch of a day. Hugs were given. Tears were shed. And on that day, we all had to accept that life is indeed not fair and that things were about to change dramatically for our family. Even through the diagnosis, even through the muscle loss, and even through the slurred speech, our father shows us his perseverance. My brothers and sister and mother and myself, we go through these days of the disease scared/shaken/saddened/furious, but not him. No not him. He keeps us laughing. He keeps us lifted. THAT is the kind of man he is. The medical expenses are going to pile up as the disease progresses. We know that much. But part of the main reason we are setting up this account for our father is to allow him to live the rest of his time happy. We want him to be able to close his sign-making business of sixteen years, and travel. Before ALS rears its ugly head, which is not far down the road, we wish for our father to not have to worry over finances. We wish to return some of the happiness he has shared with us.”
*We wish for our father to be able to live his remaining days without worry over financial burden and rather enjoy life. And also for him not to worry over medical costs that the disease will bring.
We come to you humbly, baring our hearts and souls, asking for your patronage. Thank you all, so very much!
___________________________________________________________
**Our parents made a tough decision to end their life insurance not long before the diagnosis, in a means to get by financially, and in a twist of events our father is now unable to recieve life insurance due to the disease and the diagnosis. Some of the funds will be going toward the inevitable outcome ALS brings with it, as much as it pains us to write this portion.
Organizer and beneficiary
Austin Cochran
Organizer
West Bend, WI
Andy Cochran
Beneficiary