Wheelchair-accessible van raffled off to family battling ALS
PHOENIX - A Paradise Valley family battling against ALS is giving back o other families who are on the same journey.
The Weinbrenner family knows all too well how fast ALS can change a person's life.
"He told me he wasn’t speaking well because he was feeling foggy, and I thought he was having a stroke," said Jennifer Weinbrenner.
According to the Mayo Clinic, ALS, also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a progressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control.
A year and a half since Eric started to show symptoms, he has lost his voice, and uses a speaking device.
"He was a 'Type A' person. Entrepreneur. Running around, couldn’t stop him. Healthy, fit," said Weinbrenner.
Eric turned to painting to cope with his diagnosis, knowing the disease will inhibit his ability to walk, speak and breathe. That is how Paint For A Cure, a non-profit organization designed to help with the financial burdens that ALS brings upon families, was created.
On May 13, the organization held a raffle for a wheelchair-accessible van, which was given to a family also battling ALS.
"As a caretaker, I can’t even imagine lifting my husband into a car on a wheelchair," said Weinbrenner. "It just makes life accessible."
This is just one of the many ways they give back to families who are fighting against the same disease.
"With all of the losses of ALS, we wanted to have some gains," Weinbrenner.
Paint For A Cure
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