A little two years ago, my dad, Bruce Glenn Kardos, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease that slowly robs the body of its ability to walk, speak, swallow, and breathe. My heart was torn when I was told that my dad’s new life expectancy was 2-5 years.
Going into college, I was incredibly fearful of losing him while I was away. Over the school year, his disease progressed rapidly. Every visit home revealed a landmark in my dad's health. When I went home for Thanksgiving, he could no longer feed himself. Christmas brought leg braces and long naps. Spring break meant vision problems, slow walking, and no more popcorn. I was slowly losing my father. The beginning of last summer was filled with falls, choking attacks, and slow speech.
On July 23rd, Bruce became a citizen of Heaven when he passed away due to a complication with his disease. Before then, he had lost his abilities to raise his arms, walk on his own, feed himself, and more. Soon he wouldn’t have been able to chew, speak, or see.
Upon diagnosis and throughout his battle with ALS, my father did not lose hope. He never complained, never spoke of dying, and never missed a moment to tell his family he loved them. He even renamed himself “Yippy Skippy” to highlight his attitude despite his illness. My dad left a legacy of unceasing joy, peace, and love regardless of the circumstances.
Bruce’s favorite number was 777, because he truly believed in the power of God's number. Every time he saw a 7 on one of his appointment days he'd laugh with joy. Before he passed away my goal was to raise $777 to make him laugh. We think he deserves at least one more 7 than that.
Every 90 minutes a person in this country is diagnosed with ALS and every 90 minutes another person will lose their battle against this disease. There is currently no known cure or cause. Join Bruce’s ALS Dancers on October 13th to honor my father and to help create a world without ALS.
Blessings,
Alyssa Kardos
Can’t walk in DC? Join the team as a virtual walker, raise money with the team, and walk at a different ALS walk near you! Information for the Inland Empire ALS Walk can be found here: http://web.alsa.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=13223.
Missing Bruce? Watch his Celebration of Life video to remember his awesome dancing and stunning smile: https://youtu.be/0V0tmSRxqD8
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