Guest Author: Debbie Teevens Caswell

Jamie was my true love...❤️ my breath of fresh air... my best friend... 
I came to believe in love again four years after separating from my first husband 
it is so unfair that Jamie, who gave so much of himself to others had to suffer such a monstrous hell. 
We first met in 2007 and were friends in Scouting until we started dating in 2012. 
He was diagnosed in April 2016 at the age of 52 and passed away Sept. 2017. 
He persevered this evil for a short 2 years, but ALS threw everything at him. 
His suffering was immeasurable and yet he persevered and maintained hope and 
hung on until the beast had its way. As it does to every person inflicted...? 
We had so much in common in our love for Scouting and travel and nature... 
he was so funny, silly, loving and cared for everyone. 
We had dreams for our future, our retirement - he longed to be a grandfather. 
He would have been an amazing grandfather, but that was not to be. 
He suffered and held on for his mother, whom he did not want to have to face losing another child. 
He suffered and held on for his kids and mine, wanting to be there for them. 
He suffered and held on so that we could be married, June 17, 2017. And then he let go. 
The suffering was too much. I will be forever proud to be his wife, 
to be part of his beautiful family whom I have come to love so very much. 
He is my forever love, my forever husband. Miss him so very much.

Guest Author: Mary Ellen Houston

I met Daniel in January of 2012. We were both just coming out of bad marriages. 
I didn’t know a relationship could be the way ours was. It was perfect. 
He traveled 6 months out of the year for work and I missed him a ton but I knew
that eventually that was going to end. He was diagnosed with ALS in January of 2017. 
We got married in May 2017. He passed away June 2018. 
He’ll be the love of my life forever.

Guest Author: Jamie McDonald

Our story started in 2007. It was a second marriage for both of us. 
We knew we were meant to be together from the get go. Our marriage was amazing. 
We never fought for the 11 years we were together. Discussions, yes, but fights, no. 
That was different from what I was used to, with previous relationships. 
Life was challenging though, navigating finances and a mixed family. 
Bryan was my rock. He was my calm, my reason, my strength. 
Bryan had so much pain during our time together, but we thought it was arthritis. 
Looking back, I wonder if it wasn't ALS all along. It wasn't until May 2018, 
until he was slurring words that panic set in, with all his other symptoms. May 2018 was full of tests, EMGs, MRIs,etc. 
Bryan was officially dx with ALS June 14, 2018, he took his last breath Oct. 13, 2018. 
Bryan was gone in 4 months. 
The beast took his precious life at the speed and force of a freight train.

Guest Author: Diane Sanderson Menking

I fell head over heals in love for Jim just going into my senior year of high school. 
He was 2 years older. It took him 1 1/2 years later before he even told me he loved me. 
Man of honor...would not use those words unless marriage was part of the plan. 
Married 6/24/81. 3 kids later and a career in law enforcement. 
He retired after 30 years of protecting other people. 
Started having swallowing, speech and neck strength issues 1 year later...9 months later Dx 8/16. 
It totally broke my heart to see him decline. He was more worried about me. 
He was always like that...put me and others first. He went home in peace 11/24/19. 
Even though I'm glad he is free of his prison and pain my world is blown apart. 
I never imagined the pain could be so deep, devastating and relentless. 
He was my best friend, my soul mate, my strongest supporter, my partner in crime, 
my lover...My World! He made me a better person...I'm lost...







Guest Author: Jan Murray

Met my Bill on January 31, 1983. 
Our first date followed on February 19,1983 and we married October 19,1984. 
He was diagnosed in June 2010. We renewed our vows for our anniversary in 2015. 
He passed June 20, 2017. 
I will never stop loving or missing him, but in honor of him and his love of life, 
I am happy again with my life full of animals, a grandchild, etc. #Soulmates

Guest Author: Bronwen Zimmerman

Steven was my amazing chapter 2. 
I was in an abusive marriage for 8 years & then a solo-Mom for a year. 
He was so excited to be a Daddy! (He was a widower of 2 years) 
We met 8/2004 and married 1/2005. Added my boy in 2006 to the clan. 
ALS DX 7/2014 and he passed 11/2015.

Missing him all the time as I go through his things, my things, & 
our life together so that I can pack and move 14+ hours away and begin again with my love. 
This is a long time coming. I am so at peace. 
Steven, I believe, has been visiting to let me know he's on board. 
Looking forward to a happy future and a good man to help me raise my son to adulthood.

Guest Author: Laurie Raymond

Hold tight and kiss. Do it now, do it a lot.

We met when we were in high school, didn't date until a few years later. 
I knew he was the one, just had to let him figure it out.
We got married on May 5th 1984, 3 sons pretty quickly. 
He wanted to be young with this children. 
In 2012 we noticed something was wrong it took 2 years to get the diagnosis, 
we did okay until late 2016. 
Then the earth cracked open and it was one horrendous loss after another. 
Walter was heroic in what he did to stay with us. 
He left on October 14th 2019. And I fell into the hole.

"When I say I'm going home. I mean I'm going to where you are."

Guest Author: Terri Mackey Davis

The first is our early years at our happy place....
The second is the day he died. 
I find myself when I look at pictures over the years
noticing the changes in his facial expressions and smile
 as his ALS progressed. 
The damn disease just robs them and us of who they were and how we related to them. 
I loved his so much, he was my best friend and soul mate,
 but at the end I was his voice, his caregiver and advocate....
Wouldn’t change my time with him but boy did I wish 
he didn’t have to go thru the horrid disease...