Jonathan Greenfield's Battle Against ALS

Jonathan Greenfield is in the fight of his life, and it is a fight he will not win. 

“I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12.” Stand by Me (1986). Jonathan is one of those life-long friends who we always felt was invincible.  He was fearless.  We were aware as early as elementary school and overnight camp that he would never follow a conventional path.  He was always up for any adventure, eager to break boundaries, approaching everything with unbridled exuberance and a passion for life.  If Jonathan was doing something, he was all in.   He never backed down from a fight and was always the first one there for his friends.




His parents cultivated his free spirit and encouraged him to find his own path, wherever it may lead.  He played the guitar, skied and raced motocross and had the broken bones to prove it.  Before graduating high school, he became a first mate on a private fishing boat in the Gulf of Mexico, a defining moment in his journey to explore the world.  He would go on to be a documentary filmmaker in Germany, a photographer in the United States and Israel, an actor, performance artist, a Tea Importer, a triathlete, surfer and hockey player.  And most importantly, after years of traveling the globe, he finally settled down and began to raise a family with his beautiful wife Iris.





About two years ago, Jonathan was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.  In Jonathan’s case, his father, Hyman Greenfield, succumbed to ALS at the age of 74, and his older brother, Seth, also passed away from ALS.  It was determined, during Hyman’s illness, that he had the genetic form of the disease and so his children were at risk.   Jonathan is only 50 years old.





Despite Jonathan’s diagnosis, he continued to pursue a very active lifestyle, surfing, biking and even running marathons and triathlons.  During his training, he noticed that he was having a problem with his foot and eventually went to the doctor who determined that he too had ALS. 





 Reality is a harsh teacher and the disease has progressed at a reckless speed.  Originally, Jonathan had been given a ten-year horizon for living with the disease, which gave him the hope of being able to see his children make it through school. Today he is unable to move his body or speak.  He has a feeding tube and a catheter and is confined to an electric wheelchair.  He can move his eyes and smile/frown along with slight head motions.  He has lost the ability to swallow, frequently drools and needs a suction device to keep his airway clear.  He can no longer care for himself in any way.



Jonathan is a fighter and does not want pity in any form.  He has chosen quality of life over quantity and will not receive a tracheotomy or begin taking morphine.  He wants to fight to his last breath.  ALS kills its victims by restricting their ability to breathe.  You suffocate to death.



Having seen his father’s suffering and knowing what he was facing, Jonathan and his wife, Iris, founded the Breathe 4 ALS foundation to help raise money for research and to educate people with ALS about the Wim Hof method of breathing to help strengthen their lungs and prolong their lives.  For Jonathan, it is about providing a legacy and knowledge to those that come after him. 



With the slow, unstoppable progression of the disease, patient expenses become greater and greater.  ALS qualifies Jonathan for Medicare but that does not cover the 24/7 daily care needed to look after and support him. He has a strong community network but it can only do so much.  As if it wasn’t bad enough, Jonathan’s ALS not only robbed him of his mobility but he feels a great deal of pain.  He is unable to sleep comfortably and needs to be moved about ten times each night to relieve the pain.  This disease makes your life a living hell and the impact on your family is every bit as bad.




Jonathan and Iris have three amazing young children, Zach, Skye and Josie.  They are doing everything possible to make Jonathan comfortable and prolong his life.  They need your help. 



We are asking you to support the Greenfield family through a donation, big or small, every dollar helps.  This will allow them to provide for the around the clock care needed and for any other unexpected medical expenses.  It will allow Jonathan’s legacy to be celebrated, and his memories to be cherished.  The people creating this page have been friends with Jonathan since we were kids.  An anonymous donor has already donated $25,000.    Please consider giving to this worthy cause and help take care of a great man, friend, brother, husband and father.