LIVING with ALS for 10 years – Marcie is now 33 years old

March 25, 2004
By Linda Gibson
Arlington, TX
Mom of Marcie – Living with ALS

Marcie prayed for a warm winter this year (2004) and she got it. It never really got cold in Texas. It did snow 2 or 3 inches one Saturday morning this year but by midafternoon the snow was gone.

Ten years ago this May, Marcie graduated from college in 1994 after receiving a diagnosis of ALS in January of 1994 when she was only 23 years old.

She still lives at home in the room she grew up in – living with her parents – we take care of her. She sees her sister and brother once a week as well as her brother-in-law and her 2 nephews age 4 and 8 years old. Every Saturday night is our “pizza” night so my whole family is always together.

She is looking forward to the day she will be well – free of ALS. To be able to walk again, to care for herself – to do as she wants to do without always having someone doing for her. She wants her independence back and to be free from ALS.

To our knowledge – Marcie is the youngest female ever DX with limb-on-set ALS in Texas. Another young lady, one month older than Marcie and DX 2 months before Marcie, has Bulbar ALS. Both young ladies have the same outlook on life – one day with God’s help they will be free of ALS.

Marcie got her degree in Exercise and Sports Study – she lost the use of her arms and then her legs. The other young lady from South Texas got her degree in Speech Pathology (I believe, something to do with speaking): she lost the ability to speak first.

Both graduated in May of 1994 after being DX with ALS at such a very young age. I have known of young men DX in Texas this young and younger but not young ladies except for these two.

We have ordered her a power chair and she is learning to use a bipap. She has an IPPB machine she uses 3 or 4 times a day to help to inflate her lungs. She can still speak but she only eats what she can drink.

For the past 4 _ years I have been making her fresh carrot juice (about 40 oz.) every day and fresh fruit juice (about 16 oz. a day) each day also. For someone who only drinks juice and what food she can eat with a straw she is doing fairly well after 10 years with ALS.

I am with her nearly all the time now. I retired after 25 years of teaching. For the last 5 years I was teaching I had a team of 45 ladies from my church, parents of children I had had in my class and friends of Marcie who would come over daily to stay with her so I could continue to teach 4 hours a day. Now her friends come over twice a week for an hour or so to visit and during that time I may run an errand if I need to.

I just wanted to give you a short up date on Marcie. She had her 33rd birthday last November. We know God is using Marcie and us to show our faith in God – HE is in control of all our lives. We do not question “why” we just know this is all in HIS plan for us.

More about Marcie Gibson from the Ride for Life Archives:

Marcie Gibson - One Door Closed, Others Opened

Marcie Gibson - A Cheerful Approach