Jeff Duncan, Husband, Father

 Jeff's Story in Margaret's words:

     Jeff and I have been together since 1989. We met in high school when I was a senior and he was a junior. We were working at NPC and crazy about each other. Jeff and I both went to Glendale Community College and were working towards degrees-him with graphic design and me with a AA degree in social work. We both left NPC after 5 years and Jeff went to work for the corporate side of Osco doing accounts payable and I went to work for Arizona Baptist Children’s Services as a case manager/social worker. Jeff’s stayed at Osco for a few years and then moved to Safeway doing accounts payable from 1999 to 2003/2004 (full-time). He also was doing side work as a security guard at night for two sports bars. It was during that time when he started to get sick and eventually had to stop working around 2003/2004. I went to Arizona State University and earned my bachelor’s degree in social work. I worked for Arizona Baptist Children’s Services for almost 15 years and have been employed through the state of Arizona as a social worker since 2007. Jeff and I got married in 1995 and bought a house that same year which is where we still live to this day. We had our first son, Tyler, in 2000 and we were both excited and eager for new challenges. Tyler was always very athletic so he started playing indoor soccer when he was 2 and basketball shortly after. Jeff started teaching Tyler to ride skateboards when he was 2 and Tyler started competing in skateboard competitions when he was 3 years old. Tyler has been an outstanding athlete since he was young and has won numerous awards over the years. He was the freshman quarterback at his school freshman year and then was moved to the Varsity QB his sophomore year and remains the varsity QB.  He works hard every day, gets excellent grades and is never in trouble. He has been an amazing kid. He helps me with his dad and brother and is always responsible. He also plays varsity basketball at his school and coaches a younger boy’s football team at Christ Church of the Valley during off-season. He has a strong group of friends and hopes to play football in college. Tyler is 17 years old and will be a senior this year.
     During this time, Jeff continues to decline and received low doses of a drug similar to a chemotherapy drug which made him very tired. This goes on for a few years however Jeff continues to be a very involved dad, attends all of Tyler’s school and sports functions, vacations etc. Although he can’t do things physically with his kids,  he is always available to them and involved in what they are doing. In 2009, after two miscarriages, we finally have our second son Justin who is now 9 and going into the 4th grade. Justin is kind, funny and always helpful. Justin loves to play basketball. He plays at least two sports a year and has played basketball, soccer and flag football. Justin is very smart and has really great grades. He is respectful to his teachers and always well liked. He makes friends easily and loves to be outside, swimming and going places. He helps with his dad and is always affectionate and patient with him.
     Jeff and I both have large extended families that we are very close to and they are both a great support to us. I see my family at least 1-2 times a week and speak to them a few times a day. Jeff’s mother and nephew usually take him to his appointments for me as I have to work. In 2016-2017, in addition to working my full-time job I also started working for Uber and Amazon however stopped doing that in October of 2017 as it was becoming too much. I do work overtime at my current job as much as possible. The school year is super busy  however I thrive on that and always involved in both of my boy’s school and all of their field trips. On the weekends, we spend time with our families, we go swimming, to the water parks, movies, bowling etc. Jeff does not always go with us to things outside as it is too difficult and too hot for him however he does go with us to the movies, bowling and things like that.  We love going to California and go whenever we can.  We have a great family and our kids are lucky that they have a lot of cousins which is always fun.
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Margaret is my wife's first cousins daughter. We have been married for forty seven years, and Margaret and our son were very close in age, so we watched as they grew, living right next door when we were first wed. The Vaughn's ( Margaret's Maiden name ) are a very, very close family. They have their ups and downs,  like we all do, but they always support each other, and always travel together on vacation. When we lived in Vista California we had property. When you least expected it, here comes an RV driving up our driveway with Arizona plates, with eight adults, and a ton of kids piling out, all with smiles on their faces and laughing .
     My wife Laurie and I visited the Vaughn's in Arizona in May prior to our Grand daughters College Graduation in California. We went by to see Jeff, and it broke our hearts to see him just lying there not even able to move his feet. He asked his eldest son Tyler to help him, and without a bit of hesitation he did just that. Jeff deserves to live the rest of his life with dignity, and Margaret needs all the help she can get. He needs daily care, bathing, feeding etc. Margaret does all of this on her own, never complaining. Jeff also doesn't complain, which if it was me, or any other person for that matter, we would have allot to be complaining about. Our hope is that by reaching their financial goal, it will give them the cushion they need and deserve to get the daily help Jeff needs.
 Thanks
Bill & Laurie Armstrong
 

   Everyone that knows Jeff will tell you he has a great, positive attitude. He is always trying to find some way for him to work. He misses that socialization and being a provider for his family. Jeff will tell everyone “what he misses the most is being able to drive and be independent. “Both the ALS and MS foundations have been a great resource and have helped him a lot.  It has been a stressful and exhausting journey at times however when things happen like this, it puts life into perspective and teaches your children to be humble and kind which is exactly what it has done.