- September 16, 2024
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Three years ago, Ed Foley drove his wife, Sheila, to chemotherapy. Sheila is doing well now, but Ed recently has been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Friends of the Foley family have organized the All Love and Support Benefit for Ed Foley and family at 6-11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, at the 1405 Saloon, 1405 E. Moody Blvd. in Bunnell.
ALS is a fatal neurological disease that destroys the nerve cells which control voluntary muscle movement. When the cells die off, the muscle tissue wastes away, eventually affecting swallowing and breathing and causing respiratory failure. The average life expectancy for people diagnosed with ALS is two to five years. About 5% live 20 years or longer, according to the ALS Association.
Ed and Sheila have three teenage children — Taylor, who is in college, and Aidan and Bristol who are in high school. Bristol plays volleyball at Matanzas High, and Ed and Sheila never miss a game.
Ed said he has lost 40 pounds of muscle since his diagnosis. When he started having symptoms, he said he knew what he had because he watched his grandfather die of ALS.
A gofundme page, gofundme.com/f/stand-with-the-foleys-in-their-battle-against-als, has raised $19,240 for the family as of Sept. 10 with a goal of $200,000 to help the Foleys pay mounting medical bills. The benefit aims to raise additional money for the family.
Ed was a transmission lineman for FPL and made a pretty good income, he said, but now he’s on Social Security disability.
The benefit will include live music by Jordan Redding, guest DJ Lefteye, a cash bar, 50-50 raffle and an auction. No donation is too small, according to the benefit poster.
Ed said he is looking forward to the evening.
“Hopefully it will be a good turnout,” he said. “I’m still walking. I’m very weak, but I’m still speaking, still eating. This will probably be one of the last times I’ll be seeing a lot of these people. It will be a big night for me anyway.”
