Hi, I am Brad, and I have ALS.

It is a strange disease with no cure or treatment. It destroys the motor neurons in the body, robbing perfectly healthy people of all voluntary movement in just a few years.

The top picture is from 2018, a short time before my diagnosis. And the bottom is from 2021, where I have no movement control except for my eyes and I depend on a ventilator to keep me alive.

My wife and kids spend a lot of time taking care of me--time we should be spending playing or traveling or simply reading together. It is expensive to care for me, so we don't get to spend money on other things. That is what ALS has stolen from my kids.

I worry about their future, especially their education. We are blessed with financial stability, but what about the other families? About 5000 new cases are diagnosed each year, one in ten is under 45, like me. How many kids are suddenly caring for their parents?

I created the ALS Scholarship at BYU to give some hope to kids like mine, who lost their childhood to ALS. My kids will be OK, but let us do something for the others who suffer alongside this disease.

Please give generously to this scholarship for children and spouses of those afflicted with ALS. Let's give them hope!

Yours,

Bradford Smith

...And Tiffany, Lincoln, Edison, and Abigail 

All funds are managed by BYU and donations are tax deductible.

Donations can made online by credit card, e-check, or PayPal. 

Checks can be mailed to 

Philanthropies Department
1450 N. University Ave.
Provo, UT, 84604
Attn: Jim Crawley. 

Appreciated stock can also be donated. If this is an option you might consider, contact Jim Crawley at jim_crawley@byu.edu or by phone 801-592-0452 and he can assist you.