So you may have asked yourself - why do we do what we do? Why is Pat's Posse so diligent and determined to fight and defeat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's Disease? You may wonder why there so much passion and conviction. Well, since 2015, things have changed dramatically for our family. We fought so hard after our Father Patrick J. Malloy, Sr., passed away from ALS. We fought
for families to not have to experience what our family experienced nearly 31 years ago. In 2015, we were celebrating our 3rd decade of fundraising and advocacy for families that were fighting this dreaded disease. What we continued to do was keep our father's memory alive and help "others" as they fought the good fight. That all changed unexpectedly in August of 2015, when our beloved oldest brother Patrick was diagnosed with "Daddy's Disease" or ALS. It was shocking news, another cruel body blow to our family. "It couldn't be possible that ALS had once again attacked our family," we asked ourselves as we sorted through the brutal diagnosis. But it was possible, And there was no denying Patrick's diagnosis - ALS. What are we going to do," we asked ourselves. "This can't be happening again." But it was happening. Our world was being turned upside down again. So we did what any family would do for a loved one in distress, we picked ourselves up and rallied to Patrick's side. Our family goal was to get him out of NY and home... NOW! It would take all of our love, all of our passion, all of our prayers, everything that we had, to help Patrick find his way home to his loving home in Levittown, Pa. His brothers, sisters, nieces, friends, nephews, and cousins - his entire family - rallied around Patrick, saved his life, and brought him home this past November. Since then, we've diligently taken care of him every single day. Our mother, Kathleen Malloy Trapanasso became his primary care giver, giving the only care a loving mother can give to a son. And his family helped with his care giving every single day. There is unspeakable grace in caring for a person who is dying from a terminal illness. Your mind is keenly focused on the important things in life,your family's love. The work that you have done on behalf of Pat's Posse and our family - the money and awareness you have helped raise - are helping us now more than you can imagine. We are reaping the benefits of your good work. The advancements in care, such as the Trilogy Respirator and Cough-Assist machines, the Hoyer Lift and electric wheelchair, have improved his quality- of-life immeasurably. These medical advances are all things we didn't experience thirty years ago with our father, but let me tell you the true gift in all of this is seeing that all of OUR hard work and dedication has given Patrick a quality-of-life we could've never imagine nor been able to give him on our own. He is a true Malloy. He is a fighter. He's fighting every single day. He wants to live. He is also advocating and teaching people about ALS - doctors, nurses, friends, professional caretakers - everyone who has never experienced caring for a PALS patient. We fight with him every day, side-by-side. So when you ask yourself why do they do it they do? Why does Pat's Posse continue to raise money and advocate, this will answer the question. What we can say to you is this - every dime. every quarter, every dollar. every footstep, every ice cream cone, every shared blog post, every Facebook share, every prayer, every ice bucket, every hug - it all matters. Remember what YOU do matters. HOPE matters. One day you will be a part of the cure to this dreaded disease. Future generations will look back and say, Pat's Posse made a difference in people lives. So, let's continue the good fight. And bring all of our passion and heart to one day defeating ALS. WE ARE Pats Posse 4 ALS
