Thomas Todd is one of the hundreds of people living with ALS who was impacted by Hurricane Harvey. As Harvey approached, Thomas was able to safely ride out the storm with friends, but the hurricane had a devastating impact on his house. Harvey flooded his house with nearly two feet of water.

As part of our outreach efforts, The ALS Association Texas Chapter contacted Thomas to assess his needs. When we met up with Thomas he was waiting outside his house, unable to enter because the waters shifted the ramp into his house.

Texas Chapter Executive Director Tanner Hockensmith and team sprang into action. Within minutes, Tanner was able to have RQ Solutions on site to repair Thomas’s ventilator which had taken on water during the storm.

While the full extent of the damages to his house are still being assessed, The ALS Association was able to help with Thomas’s immediate needs. Chapter Board members quickly organized a team of volunteers to help clean up and remove debris from his house. Thomas’s bed had become waterlogged during the storm, The ALS Association worked to secure a new bed for him.

The recovery process is hard for everyone, but people living with ALS have additional challenges. Until there’s a cure, The ALS Association will be there to help.

As we were leaving, Thomas said to us, “What I want you to know is you people are angels.”

The road to recovery will be long for many in the Harvey-affected areas. Our ALS Association Disaster Relief Fund was established to ensure that people living with ALS and their families in these areas will continue to have access to chapter services and programs as they begin rebuilding their lives following the devastation of this horrible natural disaster.