Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you for the love and support you have expressed to me since learning I have been diagnosed with ALS. I appreciate you, I love you, and I thank God for you. You have helped me know that I am not alone in this battle. The path forward is not going to be easy, but we are going to fight this disease with everything we have—and, we have a lot: we have the best doctors in the world, the most compassionate friends and family we could ever hope to have, and a loving and generous God who hears and answers our prayers.

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain. This can lead to loss of function in the entire body—often starting with the arms, legs, and neck. This disease has already taken use of my right arm, use of some of my left arm, and is starting in on my neck. Eventually, it will likely affect my ability to write, grip, walk, stand, speak, swallow, and breathe. The average survival time is three years, but I am grateful that the type of ALS I have been diagnosed with is a very rare and slowly progressing variant of ALS. This means that, with the grace of God, I could live several more years. I consider this a miracle and a tender mercy. I am so grateful for the gift of time.

One of the challenges associated with this gift of time is that my expenses will last for many more years and will become especially burdensome to my family as the disease progresses and my mobility decreases. Some of you have already helped in such profoundly generous ways that you have been a direct answer to our prayers. Words cannot adequately express the gratitude we have for you. Thank you. Many others have asked what you can do to help. If you feel you are in a position to help us financially, we would be so grateful for any financial assistance you are able to provide. Although we have great insurance to help reduce the cost burden associated with medication, respiratory therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, psychological support, mobility equipment, and home modifications, there will be many costs associated with my medical treatment.

My biggest concern is being able to provide for my family’s future needs when I am no longer able to teach and coach. Although I feel I have much more to contribute and a great desire to continue teaching and coaching (and I am optimistic that I will be able to continue to do so for several more years), I need to prepare financially for the possibility of not being able to work in the near future. I also need to consider the possibility that the care I will require might limit the number of hours Skye is able to work. With your help, we won’t have added stress about our family’s future financial needs and we can focus more on creating memories together and finding the best treatment.

I have also decided to write my life story. You are all part of that story and have contributed to what I consider a richly blessed life, so please take a few minutes to share your favorite memories you have of me. Your memories will be treasures to my wife, my sons, and me in the coming years, especially if some of those years prove to be very difficult. We plead with the Lord every day. We trust Him. We don’t know why we have this burden, but we have it—and, we are going to get through it. We are hopeful, optimistic, and grateful. We are grateful in our circumstances. God is good—He is so good. He loves me and he loves you. He provides compensatory blessings when we suffer, especially when our suffering feels so daunting. I experience compensatory blessings every day, every single day. I love my creator and I am grateful to Him. May God bless you and may His tender mercies shine upon you. God is a God of miracles. We have a Savior, Jesus Christ, who understands our burdens fully, heals us completely, and loves us perfectly. I love you and I am grateful to God to know you.

Love,

Erik