In memory of Woody Martz

I lost the “Best Dad Ever” to ALS (C9 gene, which I have) in December of 2018. I was a “Daddy’s Girl.” He was so loving, kind, and hardworking. He displayed symptoms a few years prior. At one point my mom and I told him he needed to go get tested. His dad had died of ALS, but back then he was told it wasn’t familial. We went to Johns Hopkins and he was diagnosed in April 2018. A few days later, Dr.McCray confirmed our suspicions. Once my dad was pretty much bed ridden, he talked about a movie he saw advertised on DISH and he couldn’t find it. I found it and ordered it. When I took it to him, I remember him getting out of bed when he had great difficulty doing so. I asked him what he was doing and through tears he told me, “He was going to hug me while he still could.” He loved glazed, angel creme donuts and I would ask them to put extra creme in at the store. I cut those donuts up so tiny and fed them to him as long as I could. I bought him a shirt years ago that said, “The only thing better than having you as my dad, is my daughter having you as her grandpa.” She is now 16 and when she was maybe five she nicknamed him, “Happy Pappy.” It was a fitting name for a beautiful soul. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him fondly. We need to find a cure for this wretched disease and I am so thankful for all the wonderful things “I AM ALS” has done and is doing. I happily support them as often as I can.