Johns fight with ALS

One terminal illness to the next. Cancer survivor, now battling ALS.

My dad John is a cancer survivor and has been in remission for over five years now, but in March 2022 he was handed the devastating diagnosis of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease which is a rare progressive fatal neuron disease. His progression has been extremely fast.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle function which eventually leaves the body completely paralyzed. Over time, as the muscles of the body break down he will lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, swallow, and eventually breathe.

He is already non-verbal, has zero body function, relies on his power wheelchair and needing mechanical lifts to move him in and out of bed. He can no longer eat or drink and recently got a feeding tube, which put him in the hospital for 2 weeks due to a severe infection. His body is not strong enough to fight things off anymore. He is down to 105 lbs, and in constant pain due to his muscle’s deteriorating. His last ALS score was below 17 (0 being the worst, 40 being the best). We are waiting for his eye gaze tablet to arrive so he can communicate with us that way.

The last thing we want for him right now is to worry about paying his rent, his utility bills, and his feeding tube supplies. All of his medical supplies (liquid supplements for feeding tube, medication, wrist braces and other body supports) are not covered until April, so everything is out of pocket until then.

In light of all of this, he has been in such good spirits and still never misses an Oilers game!

If you aren’t able to donate, we would appreciate you sharing to raise awareness for this horrible disease in hopes for more research on ALS. We need more clinical trials, medications that are readily available, and some sort of treatment!!! We’re all in this together, because ALS doesn’t stop, and neither will we.

On behalf of the Mayne family, we thank you for your continued love and support.