A Promise Kept

Lorraine's husband

Lorraine and her husband bought their home over 40 years ago for $25,000. At the time, the home was a dilapidated mess, but they recognized that it was in a nice neighborhood and that the lot was large enough to make it a worthwhile investment.

During their 60 years of marriage, Lorraine and her husband painstakingly remodeled the house - little by little, room by room. They did all the work themselves, from the kitchen to the bathroom to the roof. They planted a lush vegetable garden in the back yard and added a gazebo and fountain. They turned the property into their dream home.

Years later, when Lorraine was dying of ALS, she asked her husband to make her a promise: "Whatever you do, when you sell the house, give the money to ALS research so that someone doesn't have to suffer like I have," he recalls her telling him.

In the time since Lorraine's passing in 2000, her husband took action to fulfill her wishes. He included a provision in his living trust stating that the proceeds from the sale of their home will be given to The ALS Association (ALSA) and directed to ALSA's cutting-edge research program. "It made me happy to do it," he says. "This was my wife's wish, and I want to honor her wish." Today, the home is worth many times more what Lorraine and her husband paid for it.

Through his gift to ALSA, Lorraine's husband is able to ensure her legacy - one that he hopes will lead to a cure. "I hope this gift helps find a cure for this incurable disease," he says. "Other diseases get so much more funding, and there isn't enough going to ALS."

Lorraine's husband has a suggestion for others who went through what they did: leave a legacy of hope for future ALS patients. "Those that see a loved one die - they're the ones who should give so that others don't suffer."

By turning their dream home into a gift for ALS research, Lorraine's husband is hopeful that her wish for a cure will one day come true.

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