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My brother, Matt, was diagnosed with ALS at the young age of 25. He had a rare form of the disease that took away his ability to speak early on eventually leading to breathing complications. He courageously fought for 10 months and peacefully passed away on March 21st, 2014 at 26.

Matt was an extraordinary person. He loved anything outdoors and especially had a passion for hunting. He frequently attended the TD Garden for concerts and watching his all-time favorite team, the Boston Bruins. Despite his diagnosis, he refused to give this disease power to stop him from living his life and in fact it energized him to live it even more fully. One of Matt’s doctors said it best “He was a strong young man who knew was he was facing and deliberately chose to squeeze every moment out of his future.” He continued to work as a licensed embalmer at Mercadante Funeral Home and with the help of our family and community, fulfilled his dream of traveling to Europe.

I am so excited to be running the 2020 Boston Marathon for Compassionate Care ALS in Matt’s honor. CCALS is a non-profit organization with a mission to support people diagnosed with ALS, their families and communities as they navigate the complexities, both physical and emotional, associated with the disease. The organization provides resources including equipment, educational workshops, Medicare/Medicaid assistance, guidance and awareness in living with ALS, caregiving, and end-of-life issues. They were a major asset to us during a very difficult time and supporting their mission is so important to me. Any donation amount helps and is appreciated. I thank you all for your continued support in the fight against ALS!

– Lauren Bruce

Checks can be sent to:
CCALS – Bruce Marathon
PO Box 1052
West Falmouth, MA 02574

DONATE to CCALS