Eric Roy Facing ALS
Friends and family,
With extreme sadness and continued disbelief, I am sharing with you that the Roy family needs our help again. Just a little over a year after losing his mother Diane, Eric has been diagnosed with ALS. His symptoms began in September and very unfortunately were confirmed to be ALS this past week. Eric’s genetic test shows he has a rare mutation of the SOD1 gene. Familial ALS resulting from a genetic mutation accounts for less than 10% of all cases. ALS is a fatal and incurable disease that can barely be slowed down in terms of its pace in impacting all systems of the body and how the brain loses connections to muscle systems, ultimately having a paralyzing/suffocating terminal effect.
Eric recorded a podcast with his cousin talking about his experiences with ALS. Please listen to his story: https://youtu.be/xeqzKbTlbyA
The challenges that he has already begun to face have come on at a rapid pace, including difficulty walking and breathing. For these reasons, Eric has had to leave his job and is doing his best to prepare for what is to come for him and his family. It is simply unreal that he has to face this horrible reality at such a young age of 33. The Roy family needs our support to make sure that he has the highest quality of life possible with the necessary care to keep him safe, comfortable, and at the highest level of functioning achievable.
The funds collected in this GoFundMe will contribute to the costs of medical care, mobility and communication equipment, medications not covered by insurance, and in home nursing and personal support. With the grief and trauma that this precious family has already faced this past year, it is inconceivable that this new nightmare has come. Please consider donating to Eric’s care and be assured that the Roy family is beyond appreciative. If you have any questions about donating, please feel free to contact me, Samantha, below. Thank you so much for your support!
A little bit more about Eric... Eric grew up in Westfield with his parents and younger sister, Jamie. He has always had a special talent for music, as he has played both the drums and guitar in multiple bands, even one with his dad as part of “Blue Devil Bluez.” Eric has actually written and composed a lot of his own music too. He has also been passionate about maintaining an active lifestyle, regularly lifting weights at the gym and taking part in athletic challenges with his family. Eric shares his life and recently purchased home with his long term girlfriend, Elena, and they just recently added a four legged member to their family, their rescue puppy “Hanzo,” in addition to their cat “Ollie.” The year of 2019 was very difficult for Eric and his family, as shortly after his mom was diagnosed with ALS, she unexpectedly passed away in December. Eric and his family have grown closer than ever during this past year, not only coping with the loss of his mom but also facing challenges of COVID19 and the ALS symptoms that began to impact Eric’s life. At the age of 33, no one anticipates that they will need make the decisions and focus on the things that Eric is being forced to face. Eric is a fun-loving, easy-going, accepting, dedicated, active, and hardworking person. If you know him, you love him. Let’s all come together to support Eric and his family during this unimaginable challenge. Thank you so much!