The Struggles of ALS: Andy’s Story

This moving film from Brattleboro Reformer features Andy and his wife Kathleen. Andy has amyotrophy lateral sclerosis (ALS) and talks candidly about some of the simple things he misses in life.

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Andy explains that ALS progresses differently in each patient, so therefore it’s difficult to prepare for the future. Some of the things he misses most about his life pre-diagnosis include walking with his wife, playing on the floor with his grandchildren, and being able to pick up a glass of water and drink it without help.

However, Andy considers himself lucky because he had a large support network and a loving family and as a Roman Catholic, he found great comfort in his faith. Kathleen speaks about the need for caregivers to have support also, and she speaks to a counselor as often as she feels necessary to help her deal with the emotions of caring for a loved one with ALS.

Sadly, Andy passed away on August 28, 2016.

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