By Nkoyo Iyamba
SALT LAKE CITY (KSL) – A young Utah father is facing the reality that his one-year-old daughter will grow up without him. He’s fighting A-L-S and working hard to create memories that will fill the gaps after he’s gone.
In 2010, doctors diagnosed Ben Thomas with ALS. The disease attacked his limbs and affected his speech.
“Maybe my legs don’t work, but I can make my daughter laugh, you know,” Thomas said.
Ninety percent of patients will live only three to five years after being diagnosed. But he is not letting that dampen his spirits.
“His sense of humor and his ability to just be okay with things and to enjoy life regardless of how it’s going and just be positive and supportive of me, even though he is going through something really difficult. That really inspires me,” said Ben’s wife Jena.
Jena said she hopes her husband’s attitude will also inspire their daughter Emmerson when she reads her father’s memories of their family.
“It might be painful for a little while or difficult and sad but we believe in an afterlife. We’ll be together again,” Thomas said. “300 years from now we’ll think, remember when you had ALS? What were we so worried about?”
Watch Nkoyo Iyamba’s story here:
May is Muscular Dystrophy awareness month. The national association will feature Ben and Jena's stories of happiness and hope with readers online throughout the month.
