A few weeks ago, Dave Newman was diagnosed with Bulbar Onset ALS. ALS is an incurable neurodegenerative disease where the nerve cells that control the body's muscles die. Bulbar ALS starts in the brainstem and works its way down affecting limbs, swallowing, speech, and eventually respiration. While fatal, we hold out hope for a stem cell transplant—currently being developed overseas and hopefully available to patients in late 2017—to provide a cure for this horrible disease.

Dave, age 48, is married to his sweetheart Jen and is a rock-star dad to five kids: Kris, Trevor, Brooke, Morgan, and Zach — always, ALWAYS putting his family above all else. Over the years, he's been a cheer-dad, as well as a flag-football, rec soccer, city baseball, and city basketball coach here in Coral Springs. He's been a constant support as a parent at All Saints Catholic School, Sawgrass Middle School, and JP Taravella High School. He's the family cook, the family comedian, a friend to so many, the constant, and quite honestly…the glue.

And now, he needs us!

ALS is an incredibly fast-progressing disease. Unfortunately, as his condition deteriorates, Dave will be forced to stop working. His muscles will weaken—most likely landing him in a wheelchair—and his speech will become non-existent.

The money raised will go to:

• Technology for communicating if/when his voice is gone

• Specially designed wheelchair

• Stem cell transplant

According to the ALS Association, costs can range upwards of $150,000 to $200,000 per year to care for an ALS patient. This is before factoring in a $50,000 stem cell transplant. So literally, anything you give will be a tremendous help for both Dave and his family.

Let's face it, ALS sucks! And no ice bucket challenge can immediately change Dave's diagnosis, but with your help, we hope to provide him with a comfortable life (including all the devices he'll need), until a stem cell transplant is approved. Dave is a fighter. If we can get him that far, we have no doubt he'll beat ALS and provide hope to thousands of other ALS patients as well.

Please, donate what you can, and with the power of social media, we hope you'll share his story.

An abundance of thank-yous on behalf of those who love him most. We cannot do this without you!