When someone you love gets diagnosed with ALS, the first thing you ask is what can I do to help? For many people like me, the answer is to participate in Walk ALS Georgia, which raises awareness and money to support Georgians living with ALS.

This year, I changed the way that I decided to give back to the organization that was so vital to my family after Jeff was diagnosed with ALS. I joined the board of ALS United of Georgia so that I could give my time, not only to fundraise for the walk each fall, but throughout the year to help the organization grow. It's a new adventure for me and I have already met so many wonderful people who are advocates to help overcome this horrible disease by hopefully someday finding a cure. I hope that my friends, colleagues, and family will further Jeff's legacy by continue to support ALS with monetary or time donations (or both :) ). Thank you all for continuing this journey with me! For those of you new to my story... it is below.

Our family?s life was forever changed on February 8, 2017- the day that Jeff was diagnosed with ALS. He had been a slightly slurring his words in the evening and after visiting with his family over the Christmas holiday, we decided to get him checked out. The doctors were able to rule out a stroke but advised that we see a neurologist.  With the help of a friend who had connections at Emory, he was able to be seen quickly. What we did not know, at the time, is that he had set us up with a neurologist to rule out the most severe possibilities- knowing he could always get referred to someone else once the ?really bad stuff? was ruled out. He went to the appointment and went through a battery of tests and we assumed from there we would be having more follow ups before any sort of diagnosis was determined. The doctor, who was one of the 2 ALS specialists in Atlanta, instead gave him the devastating news- that he had the Bulbar form of ALS- which means it affects his swallowing and speech first. It was a complete shock, but was confirmed by a second opinion with the Specialist in Augusta.  Our lives were not the same since that day and he continued to decline on a rapid pace.  By November of 2017, he had a feeding tube placed to help him get nutrition.  He was unable to swallow properly by that point.  He also began losing mobility in his right arm and the ability to speak clearly. 

Jeff continued to work as long as he could, and his work (both of our work, actually) was very supportive and flexible in trying to help maintain a normal life for as long as possible.  He remained a part of American Woodmark until June of 2018, and traveled to visit his family as much as possible during that time.  He talked to his family in Rhode Island each day through FaceTime calls and it was one of the highlights of his day.  Unfortunately, he also contracted pneumonia due to the inability of his diaphragm to make his lungs work properly and became weaker each day. 

In the last few months of Jeff's life, he was truly blessed to have his fraternity brothers come to Atlanta for an impromptu reunion, go on a Disney cruise with the Harwood clan, visit with all of our local friends during a neighbhorhood sponsored corn hole (and mother nature sponsored wet t-shirt) tournament in his honor, and visit all of his Rhode Island family for July 4th.  Our family is so glad that so many people were able to spend time with Jeff during this time. 

Ultimately, the disease took over and on July 18, 2018 surrounded by his family, he passed away.  The world will never be quite the same without him and all of his passion for life.  We hope that his outgoing personality and big spirit will live on within those whose lives he touched and hope that we can try to make an impact on seeing this horrible disease being eradicated from the earth!!  We hope that taking part in the walk is one way that we can give back and pay it forward.