The Misiak Family
Donation protected
Hi,
My name is Brandi Parker. I, my husband Jeff, and the great golfers at cedarwood will be fundraising on behalf of The Misiak Family. Below is more information from his sister regarding his fight.
To the dear friends of our family,
My name is Mandy, and I am writing on behalf of the Misiak family – especially my brother, Zach. We are in the midst of a battle that we could never have imagined facing.
As many of you may know, Zach was diagnosed with ALS in the fall of 2020. While the diagnosis was shocking, what has truly caught us off guard is how incredibly fast ALS impacts a person’s quality of life. Over the last two years, I have witnessed firsthand the new struggles Zach now faces daily. Basic functions of the human body that many of us take for granted, including me, all become a daunting task. Being able to stand up unassisted, showering, dressing, eating, and drinking; are all essential tasks that Zach can no longer confidently do without assistance. And while this disease quickly takes so many of your physical abilities, your cognitive ability remains intact. It must balance the constant flow of emotions to cope and accept the depressing reality of this daily struggle.
Zach has always had a zest for life. He has a genuine passion for the outdoors and loves to go fishing, and is a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan. He is incredibly smart, albeit stubborn at times… Most importantly, he is a great dad to his 13-year-old son, Roman, whom he loves dearly. Zach ultimately wants what any dad wants – to see his son grow into adulthood. Watch him find success in life, create a family of his own, and be able to pass down some of his learnings and traditions to the next generation of Misiak’s. To think that ALS may rob him of all this is incredibly difficult for our family to accept. However, we will not throw in the towel nor wave the white flag. We are walking this journey with him and will not surrender until we help him achieve his goal and to do it with the comfort and care he deserves. While there are foundations set up to assist people with ALS, these services do not cover all of the essential medical equipment, and daily care needs that people suffering from the disease require to live as normal of a life as they can. And as you can imagine, these medical devices and daily care needs are costly.
It is not in our nature as a family to ask for help, but when you are faced with something like ALS, it humbles you and makes you realize that battles of this kind cannot be fought and won alone. We need a support network behind us; we need a team. As a parent, I cannot fathom how difficult it must be to see your child suffer like this, no matter their age. My heart aches for what my parents are experiencing. We have so many wonderful people who have reached out to ask how they can help, and this is what prompted us to create this fund. If you feel inclined to donate to help us give Zach the best care available, our family will be forever grateful and eager to pay it forward when the opportunity comes around.
Thank you for joining us in our battle; we are happy to have you stand beside us.
With love,
The Misiak Family
Fundraising team: Team Misiak (2)
Brandi M Parker
Organizer
Charlotte, NC
Susan Misiak
Beneficiary
Mandy Paysor
Team member