Almost 2 years ago, I said Goodbye to the strongest man I have ever known. On September 28, 2012, my grandfather, Richard Mazer, lost his battle to ALS. Our parents protectively shielded all of us grandchildren from him during his last week of life, when he chose to remove his feeding tube and live out his last week in peace - letting his organs slowly fail one at a time. I share similar memories of this amazing man as my cousin, Melissa Valentino, especially our goodbye. My mom held the phone to my grandfathers ear, where I told him goodbye and how much I loved him. He couldnt respond, not even with a grunt, as he had lost all ability to speak, swallow, walk, raise his arms, and blink, all the while maintaining complete brain function. He became a prisoner of his own body, while we watched helplessly from the sidelines. The loss of our family patriarch is a struggle our family still deals with to this day. For the third year in a row, my family will participate in the Northern Ohio Chapter of The Walk to Defeat ALS, occurring exactly 2 years after my Grandfathers passing. Please consider donating to my familys team, Mazers Mates, in honor of my Grandfather, Richard Mazer. We were so blessed to receive financial aid from the Veterans Association, however, so many other families dont have the resources or funds to accommodate those suffering from ALS. Every little bit helps towards research, treatment options, and cures. You can find out more about my familys story at our link: web.alsa.org/site/TR/Walks/NorthernOhio?px=4430423&pg=personal&fr_id=10239#.U_gD8G9X-uY I continue to be amazed at the generous publicity and funding ALS is now receiving and I love each one of you for your efforts. I, like other members of my family, have struggled to make an Ice Challenge video, for fear of not having the right words to say. While Im still working on my video, its comforting knowing so many of you are actively involved in the aiding of future research. Ice Challenge Video forthcoming.
Posted on: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 03:06:17 +0000
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