​OUR PERSONAL ALS JOURNEY - Live Like Mike

​As many of you know, ALS has affected our family on a very personal level. My husband, Mike, was diagnosed with ALS on September 9, 2019, at the age of 54. Mike was a healthy man with no family history of ALS so we were absolutely stunned when he was diagnosed and told he only had 2-5 years to live. Upon hearing that news, Mike quickly decided that he wanted to do everything he could to not only fight his disease but to help bring awareness and funding to ALS in an effort to find a cure for this devastating disease. Mike became a true ALS warrior sharing his personal experience with others and participating in a clinical trial. As his body continued to deteriorate and fail him, he spent as much time as possible with his family & friends, particularly our 2 adult sons, Jacob & Steven, and their wives, Emily & Erica. Mike didn't let his ALS get him down. In fact, he was always smiling and making the rest of us laugh with his witty sense of humor, and dare I say a bit of mischief! 

Sadly, Mike's battle with ALS ended just 2 years later on December 6, 2021. A few days after his passing, a dear friend of ours wrote a tribute to Mike on the wall of a restaurant near Bali, Indonesia, that read, "Live Like Mike - Strength, Courage, Love." We were so moved by her words, that we have adopted her phrase as our personal mantra. It truly embodies how Mike fought his battle with ALS and how we must continue without him. He was our real life super hero. There isn't a day goes by that we don't miss him and think of him. In his honor, and for all those who have been impacted by ALS, we are continuing his fight to bring an end to ALS by participating in Walk ALS. We won't stop fighting until there's a cure.

Every 90 minutes someone is diagnosed with ALS, and every 90 minutes someone loses their battle with ALS. There is currently no effective treatments and no cure. ALS is ALWAYS FATAL with an average life expectancy of 2-5 years. These statistics are absolutely heartbreaking and unacceptable.

We hope you will join us and consider donating to our cause. No one deserves to go through the brutality that is ALS. Thank you for your love & support.

The Rickey Family