Jamie Berry-Living life with ALS

Life was  perfectly imperfect for Jamie Berry.   She had been with her husband for 24 years and they had a beautiful 7 year old daughter.  A fun-filled life at home with their dogs; or loving the country-life on the ranch they lease for their excavation company.

Life was just as they had dreamed it would be, after so many years of hard work. It was October 2019 when Jamie began losing her balance for no apparent reason. By the next month, she could not take a single step with her right foot, in any shoe with a heel. Her left foot was not experiencing the same problem. By January 2020, Jamie was walking with a limp and wearing work boots –for any and all occasions.

The limp progressed and she found herself becoming increasingly fatigued after doing very little. By the spring of 2020, she could no longer climb stairs due to the weakness in her right leg. After much urging from her family, she finally went to the doctor.. The doctor quickly referred her to a neurologist.

Nine months after experiencing her first ALS symptoms, she finally had an answer. It was July 2020 when the neurologist gave a terrifying diagnosis, a diagnosis that nobody wants to hear, "You have ALS. It is 100% fatal. 2 to 5 years is the average life expectancy."

Life is a series of choices. This was a time of Fight or Flight. Without hesitation, Jamie chose fight.  In other words, she chose to live life with ALS, with spirit and determination.… determination to help change the future of ALS and with spirit to make the best of every single day.

This page is about Jamie’s life with ALS, and her relentless advocacy to #EndALS