Lisa Veenstra's ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) Fund

My name is Wendy Marquart and I am Lisa Veenstra’s sister. Lisa’s family and friends have set up this fund to help Lisa and Mark pay for the most urgently needed equipment that can keep her comfortable in their home as she continues to deal with ALS. When doctors give you an ALS diagnosis, they tell you it’s always eventually fatal. What they don’t tell you is that it’s also a “family disease”, one that will require every person in your life to provide support.

Lisa’s ALS Journey

In 2020 Lisa started having difficulty swallowing and speaking. After more than a year of testing she was finally diagnosed with ALS. For those who aren’t familiar with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), it is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that causes the progressive loss of all muscle control. There is no cure.

Since her diagnosis, Lisa’s symptoms have escalated – what started in her throat muscles soon stopped her from being able to eat most foods, play her music or even speak. Until recently, Lisa was still able to have a few “normal” moments that we take for granted, like eating out or visiting relatives. But now she is having more and more difficulty standing, walking, speaking, eating, drinking, and even moving. Emergency hospital stays are becoming a regularity. Through it all, Lisa has remained determined to continue to live life as the loving and positive person she has always been. It is heart-breaking for all who know her to see her go through this.

ALS is a very expensive disease.

Many have asked how they can support Lisa and her family since her diagnosis. Lisa has loved receiving all the cards, photo albums, texts, food gift cards and help that friends and family have given her already. As Lisa’s ALS progresses, the costs of her medical and supportive care are adding up very quickly. We all know that as teachers, Lisa and Mark gave their talents, heart and love to their students and their community. They have always managed to do what they loved and raise two terrific sons on a teacher’s pay. But ALS is a very expensive disease: Never-ending testing, medical specialists, ambulance rides, hospital stays, medications… we all know how high these costs can be even with good insurance. Mark and Lisa have already paid tens of thousands of dollars for basic home modifications, a wheelchair, accessible van, and other items to support Lisa as the disease progresses. Now, Lisa urgently needs more expensive equipment and modifications to help her to stay in her home. The money raised in this fund will go directly to Lisa to pay for things like a good home hospital bed ($4,000+), an electronic lift ($2,000+), building ramps for her wheelchair, and other equipment that are needed to help her have just a basic level of comfort and mobility.

And even more will be needed as she continues on this road. The fund will help pay medical costs that are not covered by insurance, such as a part-time home caregiver, and the ambulance rides that are required to transport her to the hospital which cost thousands of dollars every time.

Thank you

If you know Lisa, her husband Mark, or their sons Willie and Thomas, then you are blessed. Because the Veenstra family have spent their lives in service to their community, schools, friends, family and each other. Lisa and Mark met on her first day of teacher in-service in Cy Fair ISD and were drawn together by their shared love of music and because they are both genuinely the nicest and most positive people you will ever meet. For Lisa, losing her independence and worrying about the financial burden on her family have been two of the hardest things that this cruel disease has thrown at her and Mark. I know Lisa, Mark, and their entire family will be so thankful to anyone who can help lift this burden by donating whatever amount you can.