Supporting Tim Rohrer through ALS

Remember the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge? Good, me too—although I’d nearly forgotten about ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) until recently when my dad, Tim Rohrer, was diagnosed with it.

Hi, I’m Haley, Tim’s middle daughter sandwiched between Kara and Mike. We are starting a fundraiser and inviting Tim’s community to partner with us in alleviating the financial and emotional burdens associated with ALS on behalf of our dad and his wife Michaela.

It’s highly likely that you know Tim Rohrer as “Mr. Rohrer” the stoic bear of a teacher who put the fear of God in his classroom with a look, kicked light switches “off” with his karate kick, ripped around the soccer fields while in coach-mode and hiked up mountains to hunt chuckers in his spare time. As of today Tim has lost substantial mobility in his hands, experiences difficulty breathing, and at times struggles to stand. Witnessing how ALS has already affected him is a stark contrast to the Herculean figure we all grew up with and we realize that these changes are just the tip of the iceburg.

As time continues, our goals here will include: “install walk-in shower with handle” or “research electric beds, vans and wheelchairs” or “send slip-on shoes, new silverware and elastic pants”, providing for every in home comfort that the State of Oregon can’t cover. Since the average patient cost is $143,000 per year, we have been working with local chapters of ALS Northwest and the State of Oregon for aide as his needs arise. This GoFundMe page will be updated regularly because we anticipate that keeping Tim’s community in the loop will play a large role in supporting him. Monetary needs aside, words of encouragement are invaluable to us and our dad as this disease is a journey no one should travel alone.

ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease: A nervous system disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function. For a guy who currently lives in Bend, OR and has hunted and fished his whole life, it’s impossible to wrap our minds around an invisible threat which breaks down nerve cells and reduces functionality in his muscles. Medication and therapy can slow the effects of ALS and reduce discomfort, but there's no cure to this disease which gives patients 2-5 years to live after diagnosis.

A lot has happened since dumping cold water on our heads to “raise awareness” was trendy, but with the passage of time one thing hasn’t changed: our community loves our dad Tim and we are confident that we can support him together.

Our dad spent hours filling 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 into our minds and so we feel it’s appropriate to leave you with this final thought; knowing he'd say it himself if he was writing this, “...in everything, give thanks...”.

"Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, MSG

Note - When donating, there is a "Tip GoFundMe Services" section which defaults to 15%. This can be manually changed to 0 (or whatever you choose), it is not required.

If you would prefer to donate or share words of support to the family directly, please contact Haley Rohrer via the GoFundMe link so that arrangements can be made and proper encouragement to Tim can be given.