Dustin Myers > ALS

Memorial Service update for Dustin Myers

2010-05-05T20:02:00.000-07:00

As a family, we know that we are not alone in our grief. We would like anyone who knew and was touched by our wonderful brother and son Dustin, to join us as we say good-bye and celebrate his inspirational life.

Friday, May 7th

6:00pm-9:00pm Public Viewing at
Danjolell Memorial Homes and Crematory
392 Lancaster Avenue
Malvern PA 19355
610-296-9555

Saturday, May 8th

9:00am-11:00am Public Viewing at
Danjolell Memorial Homes and Crematory

11:00am-11:15am Procession to
Philadelphia Memorial Park Cemetery
124 Phoenixville Pike
Frazer, PA 19355
610-644-9150

11:15am Graveside Funeral Service
(approx. 20min)

3:00pm Memorial Celebration of Life at
Paoli Presbyterian Church
225 South Valley Road
Paoli, PA 19301
610-644-8250

DRESS FOR MEMORIAL SERVICE IS CASUAL!!! Phillies, Eagles, Flyers, 76ers gear! It's a celebration!

Dustin Myers Obituary

2010-05-05T15:45:00.001-07:00

The Daily Local News : Serving Chester County

Posted using ShareThis

Service Arrangements

2010-05-04T03:10:00.000-07:00

19 Days ago...

2010-04-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

This is something Dustin has been working on and wanted me to throw up on the blog. I think technically now its 20 days ago, but who's counting.

19 days ago…
19 days ago something pretty cool happened. No… it wasn’t a “Happy Hour into a lush fest at Landmark” what so many people my age do on a Saturday night (not that there is anything wrong with that). It had nothing to do with going to a sporting event, a vacation or going out for the first time in a new outfit. For me, 19 days ago, was an event that I will never forget. It was where people came and ate beef (and more), drank beer (and more) and just overall had a good time. To me however, it was oh so much more.
19 days ago I saw friends from every aspect of my life… even the shady ones. From church, college, to high school, to my beloved Cmedia coworkers, to radio colleagues, to fellow fantasy football nerds, to the many parents of the aforementioned friends. Now I have never been one for buffet style eating, where the choices are vast and the limits are nonexistent , but seeing all the people who made it out despite how close we may be or how recently we may have communicated, has now made me think that so many choices from so many categories isn’t such a bad thing. I saw friends who I haven’t seen in 5, 7, or even over 10 years. I also saw friends who traveled as far as Pittsburgh, Washington Dc, and even Tennessee. Now, anyone who knows me would know that I would rarely shy away from calling myself awesome. But, despite how awesome I always knew I was, I couldn’t help but feel undeserving of all the attention. Awesome as I am, I’m just Dustin, the sarcastic, sometimes shy, easy to complain, guy who used to eat too many fish sticks as a kid and who openly admits a love for the movie “Love Actually”. None the less, seeing so many people that I am grateful of knowing forced me to do just about everything I could to not start crying tears of thankfulness. It was definitely a very profound “God is good” moment in my life.
19 days ago I was a loss for words seeing the unbelievable coordination, organization and preparation that was obviously involved in an event like this. Over the past 4 months a number of people spent a great deal of their personal time planning for this event. People like Kate Dooner, Matt and Alex Belyus, Jordon Claruis, Tom Pratt, Chris Deese, Ashley Justin, who would meet monthly to go over how things were coming together as April 10th approached. People like Keith Reed who took it upon himself to offer up his professional skills as a tattoo artist and create a raffle, generating The Human Fund’s first funds. Even the dozens of people who volunteered on the event, whether it was serving drinks, food, selling raffle tickets or working the silent auction touched me profoundly that night. And finally last but definitely not the least, I want to thank my two brothers, my best men, Aaron Thompson and Steve Justin. The work that these two put forth for me not only made me feel pretty damn special, but it was also mighty inspiring. Here were so many people doing so much for little ole me I couldn’t help but feel inspired to get better so that I may one day pay this forward.
I could spend hours talking about the events of 19 days ago and will certainly spend my lifetime remembering it. I often feel that the simple words “thank you” don’t quiet do the trick for me when I’m expressing deep gratitude. So if you will allow me, please accept this as my thank you to everyone who came out, donated, spent time with me, organized, cooked, and was a part of my beef and beer. My thank you will be this: Everyday when I wake up and I fight every fight of this disease I will think of you all. When I am down and depressed I will think of you all. And as every day goes by and I continue to attempt to make ALS my bitch, it will be you all that I am thinking of every step of the way.
19 days ago it was called a Beef, Beer and More. Now I’m working so that I can call it my Lifesaver.
With all love,
D-man

Tonight 4/29 on CNN

2010-04-29T17:06:00.000-07:00

Anderson Cooper 360 does a special on ALS.... Watch it, set your DVR's. It's on at 10:00 PM EST.

Update - April 24th

2010-04-24T12:26:00.001-07:00

Just a real quick update.

The Out and Back race was last night, and was a blast. Expect a blog post about that in the near future. It's every year, and every year it supports ALS. So if you missed it this time around, no excuses next year!...You can also walk it too, so really, no excuses.

And on a completely unrelated to Dustin note... the Flyers have advanced to the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. So get Flyered up.... Dustin's a Flyers fan actually, so there, now its related.

Beef, Beer, and More Video

2010-04-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

One more big thank you to every single person that helped out in some way with the Beef, Beer, And More on April 10th.

It was truly an awesome time. I can't thank the people that volunteered enough. This event wouldn't have worked without you. No matter what "job" you took up during this event, or before it for that matter, it wouldn't have worked without you.

No one person could have done all of this together. Having a community of people that are willing to lend a hand is sadly, a rare thing anymore. The amount of people that helped blew us away.

For this to run as smoothly as it did, everything needed to come together. I've told a lot of people this, and will say it again. It absolutely blows that we had to have this. But, having all these great people to lean on, that will just smile, and do whatever is needed, no questions asked, is the complete opposite.. it absolutely sucks... yes, this event sucked really really hard...(get it? opposite...heyo!)

Sooo anyways, thanks again to every single person that came out, bought a ticket, made a donation in some way, or that just sent thoughts, prayers, and good vibes are way.

I know other people have talked about other ways to fund raise for Dustin throughout this year. Whenever I learn of any of them, i'll be sure to throw them up here. And if not, I know we are already planning for next years! And truth be told, any event for Dustin i'm confident will be a success, because, for a guy, who I always thought was a bit of a dork, a lot of people seem to love the kid.

Please don't let the fact that there isn't a "party" coming up, be an excuse to sit back, and have the "i did my part" mindset. Keep hustlin' and raising awareness for Dustin. Keep visiting him, keep praying for him.

If you feel moved to do so, please support these local businesses that stepped up, and wanted to help out Dustin.... screw all the ones that shot us down.

Taylor Rentals
Benny's Pizza
Snyder Moore Insurance Agency
Garnet VW
D'Ambrosio Bakery
Victory Brewing
The Ice Butler
Campbell's
Devault Foods
Giant, Sam's Club, Acme

I'm still in the process of sending out thank you letters. So if you haven't gotten one, it's probably on the way.... there's literally almost 100 im sending out, so forgive me if you get lost in the shuffle, its not intentional.

Hope everyone enjoys the video. Google videos and YouTube limit you to 10 minutes per video. It took me quite a while to get this down to 9:59. I did however, have a lot of fun making this. Dustin is the one that got me into video editing and whatnot, so I feel as thought I have a high standard to live up to, as well as a tough critic watching.. Sooo Dustin, enjoy it... And yes, i'm aware its fast and shaky at parts... this crap is hard.

*Sorry to anyone who's pictures I stole from Facebook.

....ONE LAST THING TO READ!: I uploaded this to YouTube about a week ago, everything you read above this I typed out, and was ready to go. However, IMovie 09 has an audio glitch that happens when you speed frames up, and you only notice it after it's exported. That being said, I tried my best to patch over the bad parts. Hope you enjoy.

Out & Back run, less than a week away!

2010-04-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

If you were lucky enough to sign up for the now SOLD OUT Out & Back Party Run, this Friday, April 23rd, we have T-shirts!

A big thanks to Tom Himsworth for designing these.

There were approximately 25 people that registered under the team name, The Human Fund. We'll have shirts for you there at the event.

If you have any questions about these at all, please contact either Matt Belyus or Katie Beauchamp.

Matthew.manzo@gmail.com
Kbea8184@gmail.com

* Beast Mode is an inside joke we had with Dustin during Fantasy Football this past year.

Like the Phillies? Hate ALS?

2010-04-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

Then you should come out to the Phillies Phestival on May 24th. What else are you going to do on a Monday night?

Beef, Beer, and More..and by more*

2010-04-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

I think it was around November or so when Dustin started some IV treatment on his arm. We knew that the IV treatment was way more expensive than anything, anyone should ever have to pay for that type of thing. Being that Dustin is such a prideful guy, and would never ask for help, and convinced that the IV treatment was going to fix his arm, and that would be the end of all of this, a few of us thought about fundraising for Dustin.

Well everyone knows that the IV treatment was just the beginning, and that fundraising was no longer just a good idea, but more of a necessity. So, thus began, all of this Beef, Beer and More madness.

There were a few reasons we called if a Beef, Beer, and More. The obvious being that we had a whole lot more than Beef and Beer. We wanted as many people as possible to be excited to come. (This was when we thought that it wouldn’t sell out and we’d have to advertise like crazy). But also, because this fundraiser was way more than your average Beef and Beer.

I think Mike Carney said it best when we were setting up on Saturday. Mike, being a Delco native, said something along the lines of “this is no longer a Delaware County Beef and Beer…it’s a total Chester County fundraiser”

Anyways, the past 4 months have been crazy. I don’t think I’ve ever gone through the range of emotions I did, ever in my life. I can’t thank my mom and family enough for putting up with me. Our entire living room became Beef and Beer headquarters. Shortly thereafter, so did our garage. They saw me excited to help my friend, to being stressed out stuff wasn’t going as planned, or that none of the bigger corporations we asked for help would help us… They also saw my breaking point when I got a call from someone that told me what I was doing was against God… annnd I might have told her to F off and punched a granite counter top.

However, more than anything, there were tons of cool things that would happen. Whether it was a random check coming in the mail, saying “use this to help defray the costs of the Beef and Beer”, or us hearing back from a company that wanted to help. Or more than anything, words of encouragement from people. People wanting to help, understanding if they couldn’t. The support for this was amazing.
One of the coolest things about this whole process, was seeing how many different people from different areas of Dustin’s life, or that knew people that knew Dustin, wanted to help.

And trust me, EVERYONE wanted to help. The phrase “too many chef’s in the kitchen” was thrown around a time or two… Probably one of the funnier things about this was that people would tell us that they’ve planned these things before, or been to these things, and “this is how they are done”. Interestingly enough, every time we were told “this is how it’s done”, every person told us something different.

So the few us planning this, decided to do this our way. And we’re glad we did. Because we truly think we did this the way we would have if Dustin was planning it with us… So for everyone that was bummed they couldn’t “help” or whatever, don’t be. There’s gonna be more stuff, more opportunities to do stuff, to come out, etc. etc…. Plus, most people probably wouldn’t have been able to hang with our group.

The average meeting consisted of the following: John’s Pizza, sitting around the island in my parent’s kitchen, making crude jokes, making fun of each other, talk about what needs to get done, and who’s taking care of it, more making crude jokes. Throughout the week we’d all text each other, weren’t polite, yelled at each other, just because it’s easier to do that, then send each other nice, polite, drawn out e-mails. We might have been unorthodox in our planning, but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. And I wouldn’t have wanted to work with a better group of people.
All I can say, is next years will be a million times smoother, and yes, there will be another one next year.

I’m in the process of sending out Thank You letter’s to everyone that donated to the event. Hopefully they will be out by the end of the week. If you contributed, and for whatever reason you didn’t get one. I really am sorry, and thank you.

It was beyond awesome how this all came together. I truly felt like the night couldn’t have gone better. Everyone that came out with a good attitude, and wanted to support a great cause. It was like a reunion in a lot of ways. There were so many people I haven’t seen in a long time, and so many people that I met for the first time, all because in some way, shape or form, Dustin has impacted their lives, or their friends lives, and they wanted to say thanks.

Everyone that donated raffle and auction items, THANK YOU! Not only was it a great way to raise money for Dustin. It was also so cool, that people that came out to support, also had the opportunity to walk away with some of the nicest prizes I’ve seen in a long time. Everyone went above and beyond that donated.

Also, thanks to our raffle ticket salespeople. Great job hustlin’ tickets to make money for D… Thanks to everyone for their generosity buying tickets.
Everyone that helped work before, during, and after the event, thank you! You truly showed what it means to volunteer. Most of you paid for tickets, and didn’t think twice about wanting to help work during the event. That is truly selfless.

We were beyond lucky to know all of the people that we knew. We needed tables, a tent, and cooking gear. Aaron Thompson gathered up all of his Taylor Rentals crew, and made it happen.

We needed a DJ, a good friend stepped up and was more than happy to do so. The same went with our cook, and getting t-shirts printed. Everyone from Victory was great. The entire event was great.

I’ve probably retyped this 3 times already. And every time I read over it, I feel like I leave so many things out. I feel like I can’t quite explain how last night went. And maybe that’s a good thing. You can’t really put it into words. Last night, a few hundred people came out to support someone I am lucky enough to call my best friend. I don’t care one bit about the money that was raised. I don’t care one bit that the food was amazing, or the beer tasted good. I don’t care that we auctioned off Mike Schmidt baseballs, or flat screen TV’s.

At the end of the night, Dustin had a smile on his face. He’s inspired a whole lot of people, and I’m so glad he was there the whole time. He’s the best dude I know, and I know everyone that put this on, would be more than happy to do it all over again for him.

The night was a great success, and thank you one more time for everyone that came out. Not one thing went wrong, and that in itself is a miracle (funny side note, I’ve probably looked at that t-shirt design 50 times, and showed it to Dustin, Shelby, and all of the people planning this… not one of us noticed Myers is misspelled, but seriously, if you can’t laugh at that, then you are focusing way too much on the negative)… So if that’s the worst thing that happens at a fundraiser for Dustin, I think we are on the right path…

If you want to donate to Dustin, please do so by sending a check to his Mom’s house where he is staying. Checks can be made payable to The Friends of Dustin J Myers. The address is 108 Church Rd. Malvern, Pa 19355.

I’ll have pictures of the event up on here soon. And at some point a video.

*And for everyone that is curious. All of your donations, ticket sales, silent auction winnings, and raffle tickets, helped to raise almost $23,000 for Dustin! Your generosity is incredible. And Dustin is lucky to have such amazing people in his life.

Other stuff you can buy tomorrow.

2010-04-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

Wine - $3 a glass.

T-Shirts - $15. Only 100 available.

Just a heads up

Beef and Beer

2010-04-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

APRIL 10th - 6pm-10pm.

West Chester Helicopter Museum. <--- Click the link for directions.

Make sure you come out prepared! Below is a list of auction and raffle items we have. It's not definitive, but pretty darn close. We will add a few more by the event. Make sure to bring cash for the raffle, and a checkbook for the silent auctions! PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD

RAFFLE ITEMS

1. Snowboard with Yuengling Logo

2. Bernie Parent Hockey Figurine with Autographed Picture

3. Bare Minerals Make-Up Kit

4. Merrill Reese – Voice of the Eagles “It’s Gooooood!” Autographed Book, CD and

Autographed Picture

5. Phillies Gift Certificate - Good towards the purchase of Phillies Tickets or Merchandise at the Majestic Team and Alley Stores

6. Autographed Elton Brand Mini Basketball and Autographed Lou Williams Jersey

7. Handmade, one of a kind, necklace with reversible pendant on sterling silver neck wire

8. Allure Medi-Spa Gift Certificate for a classic European Facial

9. Jack La Lanne’s Power Juicer

10. Health Master Blender by Montel Williams

11. Air Climber System Exercise Stepper

12. Health Master Blender by Montel Williams

13. Jack La Lanne’s Power Juicer

14. Jack La Lanne’s Power Juicer

15. Jack La Lanne’s Power Juicer

16. Air Climber System Exercise Stepper

17. Air Climber System Exercise Stepper

18. Air Climber System Exercise Stepper

19. Mer Soleil Chardonnay – Magnum

20. 2007 Ridge Vineyards “Lytton Springs” Dry Creek Zinfandel - Magnum

21. Bare Minerals Make-Up Kit

22. Autographed Scott Hartnell Flyers Hockey Puck

23. French Scenes on Slate

24. Gift Certificate to Harry the K’s Broadcast Bar and Grill at Citizens Bank Park, Phillies

Hat, and 2009 World Series Mug

25. Jersey Boys Poster signed by Broadway Cast and Original Soundtrack

26. Cole Hamels Autographed Phillies Baseball Hat

27. Champagne Brunch at The Radnor Hotel - Voted best of the Main Line 2009

28. Creed’s Seafood and Steaks Gift Certificate for Lunch – King of Prussia, PA

29. Creed’s Seafood and Steaks Gift Certificate for Lunch – King of Prussia, PA

30. Anthony’s Pizza and Italian Restaurant Gift Certificate – Malvern, PA

31. Pietro’s Prime Steakhouse and Martini Bar Gift Certificate – West Chester, PA

32. Nonna’s Gift Certificate – West Chester, PA

33. Flannigan’s Boathouse Gift Certificate – Malvern, PA

34. Ram’s Head Bar and Grill Gift Certificate – West Chester, PA

35. Philadelphia Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals - 2 Tickets – May 4, 2010

36. Charlie Manuel Autographed Baseball

37. VW “Fast” and Autographed Guitar by the Smithereens

SILENT AUCTIONS

1. Spa Finder Gift Certificate - Accepted by Antoinette Day Spa, Toppers Spa, Avante and many others

2. Haddon Rocking Horse

3. Limoncello Gift Certificate – West Chester, PA

4. Total Gym – To be delivered by Total Gym

5. Trader Joe’s Gift Basket

6. Richard Bollinger signed and numbered print “Light of the World”

7. Richard Bollinger signed and numbered print “A New Song”

8. Panasonic 32” HDTV

9. Custom Fishing Rod with Thread Art

10. WYSP Bundle

11. Health Master Blender by Montel Williams

12. Jack La Lanne’s Power Juicer

13. Air Climber System Exercise Stepper

14. Gourmet Sweets Basket

15. Donovan McNabb Autographed Photo with Certificate Of Authenticity

16. Ryan Howard Autographed Baseball with Certificate of Authenticity

17. Mike Schmidt Autographed Baseball with Certificate of Authenticity

18. Garden Basket - A fun mix of gardening essentials

19. Cinco de Mayo Celebration Basket - Makings for a fun Fiesta, including Margaritas!

20. Reggie Leach Autographed Flyers Hockey Puck

21. Kitchen Basket - Including “The Dirty Old Ladies” Cookbook and “The Oprah”

Cookbook

22. Food Basket from Waterloo Gardens

23. Philadelphia Phillies vs. Florida Marlins - 4 Tickets – April 16, 2010

24. Spa Gift Basket - Including gift certificate for manicure and pedicure

25. Original Mosaic Art by Billie Myers

26. Bernie Parent Autographed Philadelphia Flyers Hockey Mask

27. Bernie Parent Autographed Philadelphia Flyers Hockey Jersey

28. Salon Basket

29. Framed Autographed Picture of Brad Lidge

30. Framed Autographed Picture of Sheldon Brown

31. Autographed Skateboard by the Cast of the Upcoming “Jackass 3” Movie

32. IPod Nano

33. Philadelphia Phillies vs. Florida Marlins - Friday April 16^th - 2 Tickets, Premium Seats,

Pre-game tour of Phillies Radio Broadcast Booth, and Signed Copy of Chris

Wheeler’s Book

34. A Round of Golf for 3 at Overbrook Country Club

35. A Free Oil Change and Tire Rotation and Lifetime Free Inspections for that car at Garnet Volkswagon

$10,900 of love

2010-03-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

Dustin Myers You go to work and complain... I go to work and feel loved

As much as I usually bust Dustin's balls about his Facebook status, and him in general, I felt like that was worth throwing up here. Something to keep in perspective everytime we complain about having to go to work. At least we physically get to go to work. Below is from Sheilagh Bryan, a coworker of Dustin's at Cmedia...

Last Saturday, over 40 people turned out for a benefit walk for Dustin at Valley Forge Park. The idea originated about a month ago as a sort of "kick-off" to the Beef and Beer, and a way for Cmedia to help out Dustin. It quickly became much more than we had hoped. With the weather picture perfect, we set off on a 5.75 mile walk around the park. Many members of the Cmedia family, both current and former, brought their dogs, children, spouses and friends to join in on the event. We even had an employee fly out from our Portland, Oregon office to come support Dustin. We had t-shirts donated from Frank Burrell's brother and Jillian Lupi and Lorriane Phillips offered to be photographers for the day. Also, we had a representative of Tristar (a long-time loyal client of ours), Anjali, show up to walk with her family. It was so great seeing everyone pull together for Dustin.

Each walker was responsible for recruiting sponsorship, and our initial goal was to raise about $5,000 as a company. Thanks to everyone's amazing efforts, we were able to double our goal and raise about $10,900! To top that all off, Cmedia announced they would match what everyone raised!!! So, we will be donating about $21,800 to Dustin and his family to help them.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this event such a big success!

Less than 3 weeks away...

2010-03-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

Beef, Beer, and More is less than 3 weeks away. Its snuck up on all of us over here planning it, and we are going to be very busy heading up to the event.

If you are at all interested in working/helping out during the event, please check the blog often. We're going to have a list of jobs that need to be done during the event.

Don't worry, you won't be working the entire event. We'll have a schedule set up, so you may work from 6-8, party 8-10.

We have some extra tickets for this, it'd be awesome if we sold them...

So yea, if you know ANYONE that would want to come, let them know we have extra tickets. If they're afraid they won't know anyone. Tell them to buy two, and bring a friend.

After all of this Beef, Beer, and More nonsense is over with. Don't think our work is done. There will be more fundraisers coming up. There will still be needs that Dustin has. Yea, this event is exciting, and fun. But the real work is the stuff that is done every day.

Groceries, cooking, errands, and much more will still need to be taken care of.

Dustin will still love visitors. In fact, visiting Dustin at home will be a much better way to talk with Dustin, and really spend some time with him.

It's easy to come out to a Beef and Beer. And it's great the amount of people that we have, that want to come. The insane demand for these tickets is proof of that enough. Just don't lose sight as to why you are coming. Whether you are Dustin's closest friend, family member, coworker, whatever. Or just someone that wants to support a good cause... as cheesy as this sounds, as a community of people, we can all help Dustin beat this. Not one person can do everything for Dustin, but a community of people can. We can all help pick up each other's slack, and do some amazing things.

All that to say, when this is all said and done, our work isn't done once this is over. More than raising money, raising awareness of Dustin and his situation is just as important. If on April 11, all the hype or whatever is gone, then we haven't done our job. Lets hope that this sparks something bigger. Lets hope that people feel empowered to do something to help Dustin.

Like I said, a Beef and Beer is easy, its a party. You come out, drink free beer, and eat free food. There's going to be a lot more opportunities to help out after that. It'd be amazing if every event had the same excitement for it.

And I truly think, if you do come to this event, and get to talk with Dustin, you'll be inspired, and excited to do just about anything for the kid. He's a solid dude. A bit annoying, and kind of a tool, but a solid dude.

More Tickets Available NOW!!!!

2010-03-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

It took less than 24 hours for the extra 9 tickets to sell out.... Luckily, we have 11 more tickets to sell!!

If you missed out on the other ones, hurry up and e-mail me, at XSTEVEJUSTINX@GMAIL.COM

Just let me know how many tickets you need, and I will get back to you if we have them left. I'll then let you know how to pay for them. If you buy the tickets, you must pay for them. (sounds obvious enough, but you'd be surprised)

Make sure if you are coming to bring your check book, and bring cash. Lots of cool stuff in the silent auction and raffle. Plus t-shirts, and more.

Dustin's got a van

2010-03-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

Even though this post is a week or so behind. Just thought everyone should know that sooner than later Dustin will have a wheelchair accessible van.

Thanks to an awesome guy, with a big heart, Dustin will be able to drive around with his dog and solve mysteries... That, or at least get from point A to point B without nearly as much of a hassle as before.

Just thought I would share that with everyone. One less thing Dustin will need to worry about. And one step closer to Dustin making ALS his bitch.

Directions to the Helicopter Museum

2010-03-20T19:02:00.001-07:00

Beef, Beer, and More - Aptil 10th 6pm - 10pm

Directions

Location
American Helicopter Museum & Education Center
1220 American Boulevard
West Chester, PA 19380

Directions
Just outside West Chester, Pennsylvania. Easily accessible from the PA Turnpike and several major highways. From Route 202, take the Boot Road exit and follow the signs.

FROM CENTER CITY PHILADELPHIA AREA:
Take Route 76 West (Schuylkill Expressway) to King of Prussia Exit (about 20 minutes) and follow signs to Route 202 South (towards West Chester). Proceed south on Route 202 for about 15-20 minutes and exit at Boot Road. Turn left onto Boot Road and go to the third traffic light at Wilson Drive. Turn right onto Wilson Drive (entrance to Brandywine Industrial Park). Take Wilson Drive to next traffic light at Airport Road. Turn left onto Airport Road. Take first right turn onto American Boulevard to second building on the left.

FROM NEW YORK AND NORTHEAST:
New Jersey Turnpike to Exit 6, it becomes PA Turnpike (Route 276). Stay on PA Turnpike (approximately 30 minutes). Take Exit 326, Valley Forge and follow signs to Route 202 South (to West Chester). Stay on 202 South (approximately 20 minutes). Exit at Boot Road. Turn left and go to third traffic light. Turn right onto Wilson Drive (entrance to Brandywine Industrial Park). Take Wilson Drive to next traffic light at Airport Road. Turn left onto Airport Road. Take first right turn onto American Boulevard to second building on the left.

FROM WILMINGTON AND POINTS SOUTH:
From I-95 North take Route 202 exit and follow signs for 202 North (to West Chester). Bear right onto ramp near Holiday Inn (sign says Rt. 322 and North 202 right) and continue on 202 North to Exit at Boot Road. Turn right onto Boot Road and go to second traffic light at Wilson Drive. Turn right onto Wilson Drive (entrance to Brandywine Industrial Park). Take Wilson Drive to traffic light at Airport Road. Turn left onto Airport Road. Take first right turn onto American Boulevard to second building on the left.

FROM WEST:
PA Turnpike East to Exit 312, Downingtown and Route 100 South. Follow Rt. 100 South over Route 30 and under 30 By-Pass and continue following signs towards Route 202. Just after merging with Route 202 exit at Paoli Pike. At the bottom of the ramp, you will be facing Paoli Pike. Make a left onto Paoli Pike (away from West Chester) go under Route 202 and continue for about a mile to Airport Road. Turn left onto Airport Road and continue .9 mile to the third road on the left which is American Boulevard. Turn left onto American Boulevard to second building on the left.

FROM PHILADELPHIA AIRPORT AREA:
Exit the airport and take I-95 South to Route 476 (Blue Route) Take 476 to Exit 4 (Broomall - Route 3, West Chester Pike) turn left onto Route 3 West and go approximately 14 miles to Ellis Lane on your right hand side (Look for brown museum sign on right and landmark is Wiggins Unpainted Furniture Store). Turn onto Ellis Lane and go 2 miles to the "T" at the second traffic light. You will be facing Paoli Pike. Make a left onto Paoli Pike and go to first traffic light which is Airport Road. Right onto Airport Road to the third road on the left which is American Boulevard. Turn left onto American Boulevard to the second building on the left.

FROM MEDIA, DELAWARE COUNTY - ROUTE 1
Take Route 1 South (Baltimore Pike) to Route 352 North. Bear right onto the ramp at Y100 Radio Station. Stay on Route 352 until you end up on Route 3 (West Chester Pike). Turn left onto West Chester Pike towards West Chester. Continue approximately 4 miles to Ellis Lane on right (landmark is Wiggins Unpainted Furniture Store). Turn right onto Ellis Lane and go to "T" at second traffic light which is Paoli Pike. Turn left onto Paoli Pike and go left to first traffic light which is Airport Road. Turn right onto Airport Road and continue .9 mile to the third road on the left which is American Boulevard. Turn left onto American Boulevard to the second building on the left.

FROM DOWNINGTOWN / COATESVILLE AREA:
Route 30 to Route 322 - Take 322 towards West Chester. Before entering the town of West Chester turn left at sign that says Route 202 & Route 322. This will take you to Route 202 Paoli Pike ramp. Stay on the ramp to the Paoli Pike exit. Turn left onto Paoli Pike and go to the second traffic light at Airport Road. Turn left onto Airport Road. Continue on Airport Road to .9 mile to third road on the left which is American Boulevard. Turn left onto American Boulevard to the second building on the left.

FROM KING OF PRUSSIA AREA:
Take 202 South and Exit at Boot Road. Turn left onto Boot Road and go to the third traffic light at Wilson Drive (entrance to Brandywine Industrial Park). Turn right onto Wilson Drive to the next light at Airport Road. Turn left onto Airport Road. Turn right onto American Boulevard to second building on the left.

FROM SOUTH JERSEY, CHERRY HILL AREA:
Take 295 South to Route 322 over the Commodore Barry Bridge. Follow signs and take Route 322 toward West Chester. Continue on Route 322 until it ends at Route 1 - make left onto Route 1 South and follow until you intersect with Route 202, make a right and go North. Follow signs and continue on Route 202 - bear right onto ramp near the Holiday Inn (sign reads Route 322 and N 202 right). Continue on Route 202 North to Paoli Pike exit. Turn left onto Paoli Pike (heading East) to the second traffic light which is Airport Road. Turn left onto Airport Road and .9 of a mile to American Boulevard. Turn left onto American Boulevard to second building on the left.

Raffle ticket prices

2010-03-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

Once again, SPREAD THE WORD!!! If you want to do your part to help make this Beef, Beer, and More a success. Spread the word about the raffle and silent auction!!!

We have officially determined the prices of the raffle tickets. No matter what the item*, the raffle tickets will cost as follows:

$5 - 3 tickets

$10 - 7 tickets

$20 - Arm's length of tickets

Gonna be a fun time...so come out, bring CASH, bring your checkbook, and lets raise some money for Dustin.

* Items = items, not money. The 50/50 raffle tickets will cost differently.

More Tickets Available NOW!!!!

2010-03-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

As of 11:09 am Saturday, March 20th, I have 9 tickets available for the Beef, Beer, and More

If you would like any of these. Send me an E-MAIL at XSTEVEJUSTIX@GMAIL.COM

Tell me how many you want. Once I hear from you, I'll confirm and let you know how to pay.

Don't sleep on this. Get 'em now. If you want all 9, that's fine, but you need to pay for all 9.

Run for Dustin at the Out & Back Party Run April 23

2010-03-19T19:24:00.000-07:00

REPOSTING THIS. COME OUT. SHOULD BE A GOOD TIME. ALL PROCEEDS GO TO ALS RESEARCH. SIGN UP BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!!!

Thanks to Katie Beauchamp for setting this up. Please read below. This is a great way to support ALS and Dustin. Although the money raised through this event does not directly go to Dustin, it does go to the ALS Hope Foundation.

The directions below explain everything there is to know about this event. It'd be awesome if we had a huge group of people come out and show their support for Dustin. Whether you're a track star, or you just learned how to walk, you can come out.

If you want to do it, and are afraid you won't know anyone else, welp, bring a friend, and problem solved. Everyone running/walking fastly will know each other, or at least have Dustin in common, so come out!

And seriously, the other teams in this thing, quite possible have the worst names imaginable, that alone is worth running in this. Read below...

What is the "Out & Back Party Run"?

For 14 years the Out & Back Party Run has been place to run and be seen on a Friday night in April. This is a 4 mile, flat, relaxing run along West River Drive with a beautiful view of the Philadelphia skyline. After the run, food, beer (must be 21) and music await your return on the private grounds of Lemon Hill Mansion. In general, this is just a great running tradition that ends with a great party! And all levels of runners welcome!

Why do I want to run 4 miles?

This year's race proceeds will benefit the ALS Hope Foundation; the goal of the ALS Hope Foundation is to accelerate the search for a cure for ALS by supporting innovative ideas, promoting collaborative research efforts, and attracting more researchers to the cause of ALS. Plus there is food and booze at the finish line :)

When and where is it?

Friday 4/23 - 7pm (Preregistration and bib number pick up opens at the Art Museum apron on 5:30pm Friday 4/23)
Art Museum - Philadelphia

What is the registration cost?

Since we have a team created, the cost of registration is approximately $27, instead of $30.

How do I register?

Please go to this link
http://www.active.com/register/index.cfm?CHECKSSO=0&SUBEVENT_ID=1299063&TEAM_ID=773980&EVENT_ID=1827703&ticket=ST-343910-FZYiC1p6nCtAwSqMXNYt0XvgBjQMcyWjez0-sso2 and follow these steps:
Click the "Register Now" button
Within the Registration Form, select the "Team Registration" category and select The Human Fund from the drop down list. The password is "dustin". - this is required when signing up for the team
Continue through registration and pay
We need at least 10 people to register to qualify as a "team", so please pass along to as many people as you know!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=353176136053&ref=mf

Ticket update as promised...

2010-03-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

As of today, March 15th. And as stated earlier, the Beef, Beer, and More on April 10th, is sold out.

If tickets become available, because someone can't go, etc. they will be posted on the blog.

It'll probably say something along the lines of " X amount of tickets available, first come first serve, e-mail me if you want them"

This is the fairest way that we know how to do this. Much like any other sporting event, concert, movie, play, whatever, once a limit is reached, no more tickets can be sold. Also, much like a concert, movie, play, Phils game, if you snooze you lose. So stay up on the blog. We're trying our best to be fair here.

It's very very very simple. Once something has been posted on the blog that tickets are available, the first person to e-mail me for tickets will get them.

EXAMPLE:

3:47 PM "Hey, I have 7 tickets available, because so and so had something come up for work, and so and so really just wanted to make a donation, and won't be coming"

4:23 PM - If I get an e-mail from someone asking for 2 tickets, they'll get them

5:30 PM - If i get an e-mail from someone asking for 3 ticket's, they'll get them

7:47 PM - If i get an e-mail from someone asking for 2 tickets, they'll get them

8:00 PM - Sorry, keep checking the blog.

In no way do I mean for this to sound sarcastic ( maybe a little) but the few of us that are getting this together just want it to be fair, and this is what we decided to do, and wanted to make it as clear as possible.

It really has been cool getting to know many people from different areas of Dustin's life, and I even feel like I have made some good friends throughout all of this blog, and Beef and Beer nonsense. For every headache that comes up with this, someone from Dustin's life will step up, and do something awesome, that make's me remember why this is going on in the first place.

.... So if you want one that bad, make this blog your best friend.

And like always. Visiting Dustin at his house would probably mean much more to him. And if you just want to make a donation, that's very easy to do as well.

Donations for Dustin

2010-03-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

If you would like to make a donation in general to Dustin.

It's very easy. You can write check's out to

The Friends of Dustin J Myers

These can be sent to

Dustin Myers
108 Church Rd.
Malvern, Pa. 19355

Just an FYI for people that would like to do so.

Raffle Raffle Raffle...Auction Auction Auction

2010-03-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

If you were able to get a ticket to the Beef, Beer, and More on April 10th, make sure you bring plenty of cash, and your check book!

We'll be having a silent auction, as well as a raffle for a ton of stuff. And if we're feeling crazy enough, maybe even a live auction as well.

We'll be selling Raffle tickets there. And if you win something at the Silent Auction, have your checkbook ready.

Sooooo, if you have any interest in the following, make sure you bring plenty of cash, and your check book.

-Sports memorobillia from all of your favorite Philly sports teams. Autographed stuff, tickets, and some other really cool opportunities.

- Baskets galore. Baskets of food, booze, beauty products, salon and spa stuff, you get the idea.

- Rounds of golf

- Art and jewelery. Paintings and other creations, as well as stuff you can wear.

- Gift certificates. Restaurants around the area, stores, etc.

- a 32 inch 1080 P Flat Screen TV. Ballin.

- Other home goods, juicer's, blenders, excersize equipment.

- A 50/50 raffle. Half the cash goes to you, half to Dustin. Make some loot, and help out a good dude at the same time.

- We have lots more, and trust me, a lot of it is some cool stuff you won't be able to get normally, so come prepared!!

If you know anyone coming to the Beef, Beer, and More, why don't you show them this so they'll know what to expect.. In fact, why don't you pass this along to everyone you know that may be interested, and you can buy them raffle tickets why you are there.. This is going to be a great way to raise money, and get some cool stuff.

There will also be stands set up for anyone interested in just donating.

Soooo, once again, come prepared. More and more stuff is coming in every day, and we have some really awesome people working hard getting baskets prepared, and hustlin' to get other stuff for auctioning/raffling purposes.

Bring your check book, bring cash. Bring an empty stomach.

Keep any eye out for this guy below, at the event, he'll be selling raffle tickets, and TCOB.

Letter From Dustin

2010-03-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody,
I just wanted to check in and share with you a pretty cool experience i had this weekend. Thanks to former coworker of mine named Christi, I got the privilege of meeting a young couple who shared a common bond with me and my family. Christi introduced me to Tim and Jen whom she knows through her church. Tim, 32 years old, shares the same ailment that i have, so this for me marked the first time i interacted with someone who not only has ALS but who is also just a young stud like myself. Jen and Tim spent time with me and my family, shared stories, exchanged treatment ideas and above all just got to know each other. Tim shared with me a motto that he is sort of living by, it was simple, concise, but oh so powerful! He said when you are dealing with this you gotta look at this way, its going to take courage to fight this scary thing but in addition to courage, it also takes the belief that you will beat it. When you put those two together you will get what you want. So to put it simply and in order "Courage, Belief, Life." My family and i were blown away at how anxious Tim and Jen were to come meet us. They even brought me, a complete stranger mind you, an official 2009 World Series game ball. After the visit i felt like my family and i had just made some very close friends. I am grateful that they came over and that we all met. I look forward to keeping in touch with Tim and Jen, staying updated and most important of all, exchanging strategies and ideas of how to continue to make ALS our bitch. Big thanks to Tim and Jen and also a great big thanks to Christi "C-bone" Erbe for making this happen!

- Dustin

Dustin is Goin' Organic

2010-03-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

That's right folks. Dustin Myers, in his ongoing effort to make ALS his bitch..Dustin, has chosen to go on a strict organic diet.

I won't get into all the details on the blog. So for those that are interested, and would like to know the awesome steps that Dustin is taking towards his own care. Please check out this website. www.ericiswinning.com

Eric Is Winning is a book that Dustin had began to read. The website goes into detail about the diet, and lifestyle Dustin is about to start.

This book is summarized by the following: Dude had ALS, stopped taking medicines, and eating processed foods. He became all about the PMA (Positive Mental Attitude...Bad Brains fans know whats up)...and more importantly...He REVERSED his symptoms.

So yea, check out www.ericiswinning.com and learn more about Dustin and his new way of beating ALS.

So if you're at Trader Joes, Wegmans or Whole Foods and want to pick up some gift certificates...

Bernie talks about his visit with Dustin...

2010-03-03T19:17:00.000-08:00

Check out Bernie Parent's website where he talks about Dustin!

http://bernieparent.net/blog/

Best Dude

2010-03-03T12:20:00.000-08:00

Today was freaking awesome. Stanley Cup winner, Vezina Trophy, and Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Bernie Marcel Parent came to hang out with Dustin. A big thanks to Carl Powell and his friend Dean for making this happen.

Bernie spent about an hour and a half talking with Dustin, his dad, and his brother Gabe. He told old stories, was cracking jokes, and just being an all around great guy. He even showed Dustin one of the rings he won with the Flyers. Dustin's dad and Bernie talked about fishing, and their common friend, Dr. Pistone.

Bernie, of course talked sports. He talked about the Flyers, Phillies, Eagles, but also talked about life in general. Women, cigars, and "kicking fears ass."

We knew that Bernie was going to be a fun guy, but had no idea how genuine he would be. He was "sincere, and truly inspirational" according to Dustin. Bernie made sure that Dustin knew how strong the human mind is, and the power of laughter. He instructed us to make sure Dustin is watching plenty of funny movies.

A lot of the stuff that he told Dustin I wish I would have recorded, but Dustin heard it, and he'll remember it, which is all that matters. He did tell Dustin that when fear is knocking at the door, to make sure you open it (Bernie then gave a french hand gesture) and move it out of the way... He also told us that Bobby Hull was the only player who's slap shot he would "cover his nuts with his blocker, and just let him score"

After he left, all of us kept talking about how cool it was. Not that an NHL Hall of Famer came by, but just at what a great man came and hung out. You won't meet a more down to earth guy, with such a big heart... which is crazy to say, after he told us the story of his first NHL game and breaking a guy's leg with his stick.

Anyways, Bernie Parent. Best dude. He made Dustin's day. If you aren't a hockey fan, guys like Bernie can certainly turn you into one. These guys probably have to work harder than any other athlete, get paid the least, and do cool stuff like this for their fans.

Here's some pictures of his visit, along with a nice hit he had on Wayne Cashman.

Still plenty of ways to help...

2010-02-24T16:51:00.001-08:00

If you haven't watched the latest video update from Dustin, get on it. They are cinematic gold to say the least.

This post is for everyone looking for a way to help out Dustin.

If you are upset you didn't get a ticket for the Beef, Beer, and More fundraiser. Don't be. There will be plenty more events. And the fact that this sold out so fast, is a very good sign. If you're really bummed that you "wanted to support Dustin", well there are still more ways to do this.

- More than anything, as Dustin said in his video...VISIT HIM!!! Dustin loves company and, as he put it, contact with "the outside world". This is beyond easy, and probably means the most to Dustin. Whenever you get a chance, take some time from whatever you have going on, and spend it with Dustin. It's easy to set up, text him, e-mail him, or hit him up on Facebook. He'll eventually get back to you.... and selfishly speaking, you'll probably get just as much out of it as him.

- As always, another easy way to help, is to donate. There is a previous post on the blog that explains just how easy that is.

- Dustin still likes letters... send them to Dustin Myers 108 Church Rd. Malvern, Pa. 19355

- Buy a ticket for the Tattoo Raffle. They are still on sale, and the winner will be picked February 28th, $25 for a $250 tattoo, all proceeds go to Dustin. Info listed in the blog.

- Prayer... Seriously, whatever your belief system, or lack thereof may be, don't underestimate it.

- Come out to the Out & Back Party Run on April 23rd. All proceeds go to the ALS Hope Foundation... so in a way, you are indirectly helping Dustin. We have a team set up, its The Human Fund... and if you haven't noticed the trend, read the blog to find out about that.

- Any questions about what the family may need, contact Mandy Myers at amyers1179@aim.com.

- And probably the easiest thing you can do, read the blog, repost it, tell people about it, etc. You never know who may read it that can help in some way. I'm not a member of the family, i'm not a doctor, or anything like that. Dustin's just a good friend that would be doing the same for me. I am not the be all, end all for ideas to help Dustin. I'm probably the last person in that department, so if you have something you want me to throw up here, let me know.

So yea, there's more ways to help out and support Dustin than by coming to a Beef and Beer. Some aren't as glamorous, or as fun as others, but they all go to the common goal of helping out Dustin.

Out & Back Party Run April 23rd

2010-02-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Katie Beauchamp for setting this up. Please read below. This is a great way to support ALS and Dustin. Although the money raised through this event does not directly go to Dustin, it does go to the ALS Hope Foundation.

The directions below explain everything there is to know about this event. It'd be awesome if we had a huge group of people come out and show their support for Dustin. Whether you're a track star, or you just learned how to walk, you can come out.

If you want to do it, and are afraid you won't know anyone else, welp, bring a friend, and problem solved. Everyone running/walking fastly will know each other, or at least have Dustin in common, so come out!

And seriously, the other teams in this thing, quite possible have the worst names imaginable, that alone is worth running in this. Read below...

What is the "Out & Back Party Run"?

For 14 years the Out & Back Party Run has been place to run and be seen on a Friday night in April. This is a 4 mile, flat, relaxing run along West River Drive with a beautiful view of the Philadelphia skyline. After the run, food, beer (must be 21) and music await your return on the private grounds of Lemon Hill Mansion. In general, this is just a great running tradition that ends with a great party! And all levels of runners welcome!

Why do I want to run 4 miles?

This year's race proceeds will benefit the ALS Hope Foundation; the goal of the ALS Hope Foundation is to accelerate the search for a cure for ALS by supporting innovative ideas, promoting collaborative research efforts, and attracting more researchers to the cause of ALS. Plus there is food and booze at the finish line :)

When and where is it?

Friday 4/23 - 7pm (Preregistration and bib number pick up opens at the Art Museum apron on 5:30pm Friday 4/23)
Art Museum - Philadelphia

What is the registration cost?

Since we have a team created, the cost of registration is approximately $27, instead of $30.

How do I register?

Please go to this link
http://www.active.com/register/index.cfm?CHECKSSO=0&SUBEVENT_ID=1299063&TEAM_ID=773980&EVENT_ID=1827703&ticket=ST-343910-FZYiC1p6nCtAwSqMXNYt0XvgBjQMcyWjez0-sso2 and follow these steps:
Click the "Register Now" button
Within the Registration Form, select the "Team Registration" category and select The Human Fund from the drop down list. The password is "dustin". - this is required when signing up for the team
Continue through registration and pay
We need at least 10 people to register to qualify as a "team", so please pass along to as many people as you know!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=353176136053&ref=mf

Video Update # 2

2010-02-22T18:45:00.000-08:00

Here's a brand new video update from Dustin himself...

I left in some stuff instead of editing it out, since the majority of the time we filmed this we just made fun of each other.

It's not the fanciest video, but I figured people would want it up sooner than later.

Beef, Beer, and More update

2010-02-18T18:47:00.001-08:00

MORE UPDATES ON THE BEEF BEER AND MORE FUNDRAISER. PAYMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN MARCH 15TH, OR TICKETS WILL BE RESOLD.

I know I said that I would just update the Beef, Beer, and More post, but I figured this was important to put up separately.

You can either meet up with Aaron Thompson or I in person to pay, or send ticket payments to

820 Cottonwood Drive
Malvern, Pa. 19355

The Beef, Beer, and More page on the blog has more details.

A letter about Dustin

2010-02-18T18:14:00.000-08:00

I met Dustin probably sometime in elementary school. We didn't go to the same school, we went to the same church and would see each other in Sunday School when we would begrudgingly go because our parents made us. We didn't even really like each other.

A few years later, we were willingly going to the church's youth group. I was really into punk rock, and looked like and admittedly looked like an idiot. All Dustin cared about was sports. For one reason or another, we became friends. We were both lucky enough to get involved with a ministry called PFR, now known as YCM. They put on large scale summer camps across the country that cater to Jr. and Sr. High kids.

We first attended as campers, and couldn't get enough. When we were too old to do that, we came back every year to work as staff for them, one or two weeks out of the summer. We were even lucky enough to be a part of their Conference Summer Staff, and travel the country working at all of their camps for a summer. Currently, Dustin and I both serve on one of their camps' planning teams.

As campers, we really only went for a few reasons; It was a week away from our parents, the games and rec tournaments were fun, and mainly, the girls were hot. Eventually, we realized there was a lot more We've joked for a long time that PFR/YCM should change their slogan to "Come for the girls, Stay for the gospel".

Chuck Neder, the founder of YCM has been a long time, for the lack of a better word, a "hero", of ours. We used to joke around that he was on a whole other level than us. Probably because we never knew when to say when, and stuck around YCM long enough, we got to know Chuck.

Below is an e-mail he sent to people involved with the ministry in one way or another.

Dear YCM friends and family:

I want to share with you as briefly as I can about a visit I had to Philadelphia earlier this week. I went to Philadelphia to visit a friend who has been involved in our ministry since he was eleven years old. His name is Dustin. Dustin actually committed his life to Christ at his first Great Escape. Since then, he has been to every Great Escape Northeast (presently TGE Johnstown). Dustin has served as a counselor, on work crew, and he now serves on the planning team for TGE Johnstown, heading up the platform program. He is truly a phenomenal young man.

The reason for my visit to Philadelphia was that last year, Dustin was diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Since last year, Dustin has lost use of his legs, his arms and is now loosing his voice. The disease is progressing incredibly rapidly. As I sat with Dustin last night, I was impressed with a number of things. I loved the way the Johnstown planning team is surrounding him with love and care, especially his good friend Steve, who also serves on the planning team. His long time youth leader, Harry, is a contractor and has gotten other contractors in the area to refit his mother's apartment to accommodate his special needs. Tim, a friend of Dustin's throughout the years and a pastor in the area, stops by to visit Dustin on a regular basis, as does Elizabeth, Liz, Carl, and other planning team members. I really saw the body of Christ in action in Philadelphia and it was a beautiful thing.

While up there, I had the opportunity to have dinner with our Johnstown planning team. As we fellowshiped together, we talked about the impact of Dustin's situation on us and how it impacts our own view of God. We had a very rich time talking about these things.

As I had a little private time with Dustin, he assured me that he was OK with God, although he had a lot of questions. Dustin said he had good days and bad days...but he also said it could be a lot worse. As he said those words, I wondered to myself how it could be much worse? A young man in his prime, full of life, struck down with this terrible disease. His attitude and his spirit so deeply ministered to me. He told me was has planning to go to the March 5th Planning Team meeting, but didn't know how he'd get to the hotel. I assured Dustin we'd get him there, no matter what it took.

I asked Dustin what his dreams were for the the future. He said he really wanted to attend The Great Escape, but that he probably didn't have the funds or resources it'd take to get him there. I assured Dustin that if his goal and desire was to attend our camp, we would make it happen. Also, his friends are planning a fundraiser for him in April. Dustin majored in journalism, wanting to be a sports broadcaster. His friends have lined up DELETED BECAUSE IT WILL SPOIL SURPRISES, and to date, they have sold over 350 tickets to it. I believe it is even sold-out.

I asked in the subject of this email if what we do through YCM really matters. Sometimes when we spend all day looking at numbers, finances and logistics, and you see kids come and go, never hearing from them again, you do wonder if what you do makes a difference. Then a situation liked this happens. You take a trip to Philadelphia to spend time with Dustin who met Christ at 11 years old at Great Escape and has walked and served with the same friends for over 15 years, and now you see those friends caring and loving him through his battle with this disease. Yes, you realize, what we do does matter.

As Dustin's good friend Steve said to me before I left, "People say to me, you are doing so much, but I say to them, not really, he is my friend and he would do the same for me."

I hope you are encouraged by this story as much as I was.

Thank you for walking with us on this journey and for helping us love kids.

Chuck

I'm not sure how many people will appreciate that e-mail. But Dustin and I both teared up as we read it. Check out YCM's Website.

...... Onto other news,

Dustin and I filmed another video update that should hopefully be up in the next few days. This one requires editing, so be patient.

I think i fixed the first video, so go check that out.

Check back soon. Make sure you send in your payments for the Beef and Beer if you haven't yet!!

Just checking in...

2010-02-17T18:23:00.001-08:00

Just a very short update, nothing of major importance. Just so that people didn't think the blog went anywhere...

Dustin and I are working on a new video, get ready for it.

Also, check back on the Beef, Beer, and More page for any updates regarding that. For now tickets are SOLD OUT. But like I said, check back to the page, if any open up, it'll be posted on there.

If you haven't sent in your payment for the tickets, please do so soon. Details on payment can be found on the Beef, Beer, and More page.

The Tattoo Raffle for Dustin still has a few more days left. Hurry up and buy tickets if you are interested. Don't be one of the people saying "i've been meaning to get a ticket for that"...only to be a week late. Action Action Action.

Better yet, even if you aren't interested, please repost about the raffle...remember, all proceeds go to Dustin, so that's a very easy way to help.

That's all for now. More updates to come.

PS. Dustin still likes visitors.

Update on Dustin

2010-02-02T19:16:00.000-08:00

If you are new to the blog, and would like to know what it's all about. Please check out Dustin's Situation.

A big thank you to Michelle Miller, and Mike Richards of the Philadelphia Flyers!!

Mike Richards was kind enough to sign a Flyers Winter Classic jersey for our good friend Dustin. Needless to say, it made Dustin's night, and it meant the world to him that someone he admires would take the time to do this.

Another big thanks to Frank Fitzpatrick and Merrill Reese of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Merrill was kind enough to send Dustin a signed copy of his book, as well as a CD with his greatest play calls for the Eagles.

And lastly, Don Thompson brought over a small group from Paoli Presbyterian Church to visit with Dustin. Here's a shot of Dustin, his mom, and Emily Yispelkis who made him this Phillies blanket.

DONATE DONATE DONATE

2010-02-01T17:30:00.000-08:00

If you would like to financially donate to Dustin's care.

All donations can be mailed to:

Friends of Dustin J Myers
108 Church Rd
Malvern, Pa.
19355

Check can be made out to Friends of Dustin J Myers

Please note, if you have questions about tickets for the Beef, Beer, and More fundraiser, they can be answered on the Beef, Beer, and More page.

Beef, Beer, and More Updated 2/18/10

2010-01-31T17:22:00.000-08:00

From now on, any information regarding the Beef, Beer, and More Fundraiser for Dustin, please check this link. Rather than post new pages with more and more updates, it'll be easier just to edit this one.

So as information comes along, it will be posted here. We'll keep you updated on raffle items, menu, and any other happenings as they come along.

TICKETS

*** FOR NOW TICKETS ARE ALL SOLD OUT****

We may have more opened up later on. If not, don't worry, this is the first of many events. There are still other ways to support Dustin, without coming to this event. No one will be able to make every event, so don't stress of feel bad you missed out on this one.

PAYMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MARCH 15th. IF PAYMENT HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED, WE WILL RESELL YOUR TICKET.

PLEASE CONTACT THE FOLLOWING ABOUT PAYMENTS

Aaron Thompson - rage1684@netzero.com. 484 459 5022.

Steve Justin - xstevejustinx@gmail.com 484 889 6020

We would prefer people that are mailing in there payments send in a check versus cash.

These payments can be mailed to:

Steve Justin
820 Cottonwood Drive
Malvern, Pa.
19355

Checks can be made out to Friends of Dustin J Myers

*Please attach a note with the check just stating how many tickets, for who, etc.*

***DO NOT ASSUME YOU WILL GET IN. We can't stress enough that we don't want to be shut down because we violated a fire code. If you haven't bought a ticket, you will not be able to attend.***

Check back often, for more information.

RAFFLE ITEMS!!!!

This list will keep growing as everything is confirmed, and actually in our possession. For everyone that I have spoken to about the Raffle/Silent Auction, if you haven't sent your items, please do so asap! We would like to have a nice description sheet for each one written up before the event.

- Autographed copy of Merrill Reese's book
- Autographed picture of Merrill Reese
- A copy of Merrill's greatest play calls
- $100 spa gift certificate
- Autographed picture of Brad Lidge
- much more...

Update on fundraising, and Dustin

2010-01-25T17:25:00.000-08:00

If you are new to the blog, and would like to know more about Dustin's situation, please click.

Things are moving along, slowly, but surely for the Beef, Beer, and More Fundraiser.

We have a bunch of request letters out to different organizations. Getting food, drinks, supplies, raffle items, etc.

Tickets are going on sale February 1st. We will have a Paypal account set up if you wish to purchase them online. Or you can buy them in person from people yet to be determined.
Once again, $30 advanced, and $40 at the door.

For everyone that has been kind enough to offer items for the raffle/silent auction. As soon as you have these gifts confirmed, please contact me at xstevejustinx@gmail.com to arrange delivery. We can't advertise that we will be auctioning off items, until we know for sure we have them.

... And for everyone that has been kind enough to e-mail me asking for any job whatsoever, well soon enough, I will have something for you. I know we will need a crew of about 10 people to help clean up after the Beef, Beer, and More. This will include, mopping the floors, cleaning the bathroom, picking up trash, etc. Not the most glamorous job, but is still needed, and will still be a help. So if you are looking for any way to contribute, here is one.

Finally, the easiest way to help. Simply copy and paste the link to the blog, and send it out to friends, or people that you may think can help in any way, or that would like to follow an amazing dude's story. Everyone on Facebook, especially people that frequently update their statuses. In the time it takes to write about the Eagles, Phillies, or what you are doing over the weekend, you could post this link.

The more people that read this blog and repost it, the better chance that we can all find a way to help the Myers, and most importantly, keep up with Dustin.

...That being said, sooner than later, Dustin will be fitted with a snazzy new wheelchair, and a mobile bypap. Meaning he will be out and about, living the good life. We have some really cool stuff in the works, that I'm sure everyone will want to stay up on.

If you haven't read the letter from the Myers', please check it out by clicking here.

Adding onto that letter, here are two items that the money we raise will go towards.

- A rolling, highback, tilting shower chair

- a Stair Platform Lift

That's it for now. Keep checking back.

Steve

Other ALS patients

2010-01-22T18:56:00.000-08:00

I was sent these by a friend that works with the ALS Hope Foundation. They are two different trailers for movies that were made by patients with ALS. Some of the images may scare you at first, but both videos offer a lot of inspiration.

Dustin has long since had a passion for film. He often would edit smaller videos, and was pretty good at it too. Projects like these always interested him. I can't provide much more information on where to find the movies. But nonetheless here are the trailers.

...And, if you recognize the band in the first one, my hat goes off to you.

Terminally Chillin' / Movie trailer 01 from dustin hostetler on Vimeo.

Indestructible Trailer

Indestructible | MySpace Video

A Letter From the Myer's Family

2010-01-22T18:31:00.000-08:00

Mandy Myers wanted to share this with the blog. It's truly amazing how many people are coming together for this. I get e-mails everyday from people that Dustin went to school with, church with, or people that are friends with friends of Dustin. Even people that don't know Dustin, but have heard his story and want to help.

It's great how many resources we have. Please read the below letter, and see how you may be able to help. Even if you can't, you may know someone who knows someone who can. We've all been blessed in different ways. One way or another, we should all be able to help give Dustin the quality of life that he desires, and more importantly deserves.

We want to express our gratitude to everyone who has shown support for Dustin and our family during this difficult time. Looking at all the cards, gifts, visitors, phone calls, emails, and facebook messages have made the simple words of thank you seem to fall short of how we truly feel. We will never be able to repay the amount of kindness and help that we have received in the last few weeks.

Many people have asked what our needs are. As a family we thought about it and have some more specific ways people could help. We in no way expect people to supply us with all of these things, but with so many offers, this is what we came up with.

Paper towels

Hand Sanitizer

Hand Soap

Non Toxic Cleaning Supplies

Sun & Earth or Green Works

Toilet Paper

Cottonelle wipes

Tissues

Straws

Latex Gloves

Ensure (Dustin has a few preferred flavors)

Milk Chocolate

Vanilla

Strawberry

Wawa Iced Tea or Juice

Gift Cards

CVS, Giant, Wawa

Cleaning Volunteers for general household cleaning

Also, there will be a list of some personal needs of Dustin’s at the house (manicure, shaving, etc)

We are not asking anyone to do anything that they are not comfortable with. However, any and all help is greatly appreciated. Also, if people have ideas of other ways they would like to help just let us know.

Thank you again.

Sincerely,

The Myers Family

P.S. Dustin will not refuse any offers for Swedish Massages

Mandy Myers - AMyers1179@aim.com

Contact Info

2010-01-22T18:27:00.000-08:00

If you would like to know about Dustin's situation, please click here

For everyone that has e-mailed me, and I haven't responded, it most likely went to my spam folder. So, if you e-mail me and I don't respond here is my cell phone number (484) 889-6020.

Mark Your Calendars

2010-01-19T15:10:00.000-08:00

Saturday, April 10th. West Chester Helicopter Museum*

We have officially set a date, and have a venue for Dustin's Beef and Beer.

Consider this plenty of notice, so no excuses for not making it out to this!

Tickets will be on sale February 1st. They will be available online, or through a few different people.

The cost will be $30 advanced, and $40 at the door. This event will be All Ages, we want people young and old to come out. 21 with ID to drink.

There will be a limited about of tickets, so make sure you get one ASAP.

More info to come soon, keep checking the blog.

If you have e-mailed me wanting to help, and I haven't gotten back to you, don't be offended. I assure you we will try to find a job for everyone. And, if not, coming out to the Beef and Beer is more than enough!

*It really is a cool place!

Video Update From Dustin

2010-01-17T09:52:00.000-08:00

If you want to know about Dustin's Situation, please click.

So, we are getting a little more high-tech over here. Instead of typing out what Dustin wants to say, we have a video update from him.

Don't let the mask throw you off, it is strictly a comfort thing, not for ventilation. This new unit he is using doesn't cover his mouth, and allows him to speak without yelling. So, here he is...

Yes, I'm aware the video is on here twice. Some people can only view this in certain formats, so hopefully one or another works for you.

*I uploaded the video again, if it says unavailable when you try and play it, let me know. Apparently its an issues on Blogspot's end.

We're Still Here..

2010-01-16T05:29:00.000-08:00

Want to know about Dustin's Situation...click here

Just an update since I haven't posted anything lately. We are still moving, and working on the fundraiser. We even have some ideas for events later on in the summer as well. Hopefully tomorrow, there will be a video update from Dustin, letting everyone know how he's doing.

Also, I'm going to try and link the Dustin's Situation page to every post, just in case this is your first time reading this, and would like to know how we got to where we are.

For now, I would just like to thank everyone that has sent me (Steve) e-mails of encouragement about what we are doing. I'm glad that this blog can be a tool to help people stay update on Dustin and different fundraising activities.

If I haven't responded to any of your e-mails, I apologize. I receive a good amount throughout the day, and sometimes they just slip my mind.

We will have a Trust Fund set up very soon in Dustin's name where all donations can be made. We will also have this linked up to a Paypal account, so that online donations can be made, as well as online ticket ordering, and similar activities.

The Beef and Beer Fundraiser, which seems like it's turning into something much larger, so no worries for all the vegetarian's and under-ager's, will be announced very shortly. So please keep the first two weekends open in April, that's when we are shooting for.

Check back tomorrow at some time, hopefully we will have an update from Dustin.

How far a dollar goes...

2010-01-06T17:31:00.000-08:00

For those curious as to just what raising money for an ALS patient can do for them, this is just a sample, that I was given from the ALSA.

$25 Personal pager
$40 Two hours of in-home care (dressing, bathing, etc)
$60 Door chime to call for help
$150 One resource (support) group session
$225 Van transportation to and from our clinic or a social event
$350 One visit to our ALSA-certified Clinic at Pennsylvania Hosptial or Hershey Medical Center
$550 Lightweight wheelchair
$1,300 A "Link" communication device
$4,000 Lightwriter(R) communication device

Flyers, and other info

2010-01-06T17:22:00.000-08:00

Hey, just like this blog.. Spread this flyer around, and send it to anyone whom you think may interested. Soon enough we will have more flyers for other events, and dare I say t-shirts?

Also, any other fundraising ideas you may have, or be working on. Lets be smart about them!!!

Obviously we want the support for Dustin to be ongoing, and not just die out after a month or so. So lets try and spread out our ways of support and work together to help out Dustin.

And of course, if you have something you are thinking about, let me know and we will throw it up here on the blog. We just don't want to "flood the market" with Dustin Dustin Dustin, only to have such an awesome cause become last weeks news.

Any questions regarding the beef and beer, Dustin's contact info, anything really, check the other posts, it may have already been entered.

As always, my e-mail is XSTEVEJUSTINX@GMAIL.COM, i'll try to get back to you asap.

The one thing about Dustin being such a great guy, is that there are tons of people that want to help, so please bear with me!

We're really hoping to have a lot more info for everyone within the week, as well as specific people you can contact about Dustin, fundraising, and whatnot.

Keep the letters coming!

2010-01-06T17:12:00.000-08:00

So yea, I don't do blogs professionally, and my camera battery was dying.

But here is the gist what his walls looked like a few days ago. So please lets keep filling these up.

Dustin Myers
108 Church Rd
Malvern, Pa

An update on/from Dustin

2010-01-05T16:15:00.001-08:00

I apologize for not putting this up last night, but we ordered cheesesteaks and I went into a food coma shortly after.

Apart from eating greasy food, I did ask Dustin if there was anything that he wanted up on the blog. So here is a bit of what he is up to...

Dustin still is working part time from home. C Media has been amazing in that regard.

He's enjoying getting to spend lots of time with his family every day.

Still in good spirits, appreciates everyone's cards, letters, and books.

He's getting to catch up on a lot of TV. Flying through his Netflix queue. He's watching the (no joke) Harry Potter movies, and about to start watching The Wire. He feels the need to answer out loud when he watches Jeopardy, and is still watching the Flyers and Eagles.

He wears his breathing mask a lot. However, he wants to stress this to everyone reading. He is NOT on a ventilator or anything like that, the mask just makes things a lot more comfortable for him.

He's still on Facebook a lot, and text messaging. May be slow to respond every now and again, but keep bothering him. Eventually he'll get back to you. And if he can't, he will have someone type or whatever for him. So on that note, you may want to keep your messages somewhat PG rated. Just until you know its him.

Dustin is open to visitors anytime. Just let him know. Tomorrow, (january 7th) Dustin will be at the ALS clinic at UPENN all day, but other than that, he should be good to go.

And just so no one thinks Dustin has lost his sense of humor, without being crass. I will say that he is in good enough spirits to make jokes about hot girls coming to visit.

And just one more thing to leave you with...

Just a few minutes ago I was typing for him on Facebook, someone asked him how he was doing. And those who know Dustin and his sense of humor well will appreciate this... "I'm doing fine...apart from having ALS, ***hole"

He still knows how to make ya laugh.

Welp, We have the beer part covered...

2010-01-04T17:52:00.000-08:00

Thanks in part to Judd Brunda from Victory Brewing company, we have a few kegs of beer donated. And possibly gift certificates to the restaurant, and maybe a case or two of beer to be raffled off as well.

Things are slowly starting to take place in just a short amount of time. We really hope to have a date and location locked down by the end of the week. Right now we are just balancing out what will hold the most amount of people, as well as be the most cost effective.

But for now, just keep your calendars open for the end of March and beginning of April. As information comes, it will be posted on here.

Also, the tattoo raffle has been updated. So check that out.

Get tattooed for Dustin

2010-01-03T11:03:00.000-08:00

Keith Reed, from Xtreme Ink Tattoo in West Chester will be having a raffle to raise money for Dustin. He will be raffling off a $250 dollar tattoo, at the tattoo shop.

This is separate from the Beef and Beer raffles we will be having, and will be running for a longer period of time.

If you are interested in this, please stop by the shop and ask for more details. I am pretty sure that tickets for this raffle will be around $25. So here's your chance to get tattooed on the cheap, and help out a friend.

UPDATE

Keith's raffle will be going on from now until February 28th, the winner will be announced March 1st. So stop by the shop, or find Keith Reed on Facebook and buy a few tickets.

The shop's telephone number is 610 - 738 - 7666

More Beef and Beer info

2010-01-03T10:50:00.001-08:00

So this page has not even been up for 24 hours, and tons of people are already e-mailing offering to help.

As of right now, the best thing to do is just brainstorm. Think of who you know, what may help, etc. If you have an idea or a contact that may be useful. Please contact any of the following:

Steve Justin -xstevejustinx@gmail.com
Aaron Thompson - rage1684@netzero.com
Berry Woodrow - woodrow.berry@gmail.com

It's awesome how many people want to help, but at the same time this can become somewhat of a problem. We would like to have this benefit be as successful as possible, and do not want it to become chaos.

So if you have anything that is a good idea, or resource, PLEASE CONTACT US FIRST! We just don't want to have the same place get 20 different e-mails from different people, and either turn them off, or confuse them.

Kind of like that saying "too many chefs in the kitchen"... we appreciate everyones help, just dont want people jumping the gun, and rushing into something.

Please keep reposting this blog wherever you can, and spreading the word to anyone that you think would want to come.

On a much more lighthearted note. Everyone that has been e-mailing me, or asking me why the blog's web address is what it is. It's a reference to one of Dustin's favorite TV shows, Seinfeld.

What Can You Do

2010-01-02T21:15:00.000-08:00

So obviously, we are not doctors. We can't find some magical cure for ALS.

However, that does not mean that we are hopeless.

Visit Dustin. As stated in the earlier post, Dustin's mind is still 100% functional, and he is still the same person he has always been. This is by far the best way to help Dustin, since physically it is a bit difficult for him to come see you, go see him, hang with him, eat his mom's cooking.
If you can't make it out to see him, send him a letter, he already has a pretty awesome collection going around the TV. I'll try to get a picture up sooner than later, it's pretty amazing to see the outpouring of love just in the last few weeks. DUSTIN MYERS 108 CHURCH RD. MALVERN, PA. 19355

BEEF AND BEER!

Basically, the biggest fundraiser that is in the works for Dustin and his family right now is a Beef and Beer. We are trying to have this be as big as possible, and get as many people out as we can. In the 4 days that this has been going on for, we have been blessed to have people offer to donate their services and resources for this event.

Right now, since this is in the very early stages of development, we are just getting a list of needs together.

This is tentatively scheduled for late March, or early April. We hope to have an official date posted by the end of the week. So please check back often.

Once we have the venue date secured, we will beginning doing the same with food and beverage distributors, as well as local organizations that will want to help as well.

Another way we plan to raise money at this event, is to have various raffles/silent auctions as well.

We would even like to reach out to the Phillies, Flyers, Eagles, and Sixers as well as Philadelphia media just to see if they would be interested in helping someone who has been a fan of theirs for a long time.

We hope to have a Paypal account set up in the near future, for people who wish to donate, but cannot make it to the Beef and Beer.

Please do not think that this is the be-all, end-all for fundraisers for Dustin. This is hopefully one of many, and will help to make life easier for Dustin, and curb any expenses that the Myers may be looking at in the near future.

So, if you, or anyone you may know, would be willing to donate, either tickets to sporting events, autographed merchandise, gift certificates, services, pretty much anything that can be raffled off, please don't hesitate to contact me.

This also goes for anyone that knows someone in any sort of food/beverage distribution. And, hey, if you know of any sort of fire-hall, banquet hall, hotel, or VFW that cant fit 200+ people, please, let us know.

Obviously, the point of all of this is to raise money for Dustin and his family, meaning, lets try to get everything we can for FREE.

Please contact me at xstevejustinx@gmail.com if you would like to get involved, have any resources, ideas, questions, contacts, etc.

Dustin's Situation

2010-01-02T19:07:00.000-08:00

The purpose and intent of this blog is to hopefully provide information for those that do not have it, as well as a means to help connect people that may have resources that can help Dustin and the entire Myers family.

Without giving out too much personal information of Dustin's, I will try to give the bare essentials as to how we got here to begin with.

Dustin has always excelled in athletics. Whether he was playing baseball and football in high school, or pick-up basketball, ultimate frisbee, mini-golf, and flag-football later on. Dustin has generally always been one of the best, and without question the most competitive.

A little over one year ago, however Dustin started experiencing weakness in his left arm. After many trips to different doctors, the arm never regained any strength. Throughout the next year, Dustin went about life pretty much as normal as possible. Driving, typing, mini-golf, even tying a tie.

Unless Dustin told you about what was going on with his arm, you wouldn't have had any idea. He was beyond good at hiding any sort of impairment he might have had.

Dustin began an IV treatment on his arm that, if it went well, would restore the strength back into his arm. The treatment was not guaranteed to work, but was obviously something worth trying.

Shortly after the treatment Dustin began experiencing shortness of breath, as well as some weakness in his back, as well as leg. One of the side effects of the treatment was exhaustion, so that is all we figured it was. Dustin probably should have been wearing a sling around his right arm, so we figured that was what was starting to cause the weakness in his back.

Dustin even went to the doctor's and found out he had bronchitis, so once again, we figured that's where the shortness of breath was coming from. A few days later, Dustin was having trouble breathing, so erring on the side of caution, he spent two days in the hospital.

When he came back, Dustin was rejuvenated, was no longer as tired as he had been, and not struggling for breath anymore. He was still experiencing the weakness in his muscles, and Dustin had two other doctor's appointments.

Within this past month, Dustin was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease is a progressive motor neuron disease that is caused by the degeneration of nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement. Generally the youngest people age people are diagnosed with ALS is in their mid 30's. Dustin is 26.

Please visit www.alsa.org for more information concerning ALS.

Throughout this entire time, Dustin has remained incredibly positive. When ALS was even brought up as a possibility, Dustin truly had an optimistic view of the whole situation. At first, Dustin would say things like "I can live my life with one arm, things could be worse". Then throughout the treatment, it was "when i get better, i'll get back to kicking your ass at football". Even after the diagnosis, Dustin still is optimistic, and positive. He is constantly talking about beating this, and still, that things could be worse. He keeps stating how blessed he feels to have the family that he does, the friends, his faith.

Being around the kid, truly makes you feel great that you know him. Facing everything that he is facing, he still continues to inspire those around him, and be the same guy that everyone has come to know and love.

The only positive thing about ALS, is that it does not effect the mind. Dustin is still the same guy. He is still a witty, humorous, and sarcastic guy. He will still listen to your problems, and give you advice. He'll even still get on your nerves and make you mad. The only thing that has really changed is what he is limited to do physically.

The strength that he has lost in his muscles, has not been lost in his heart and mind by any means. He plans on fighting ALS with everything he has, and will need all the support he can get.