Matt’s Story

In 2015, Matthew Wild, a 41-year-old former U.S. Marine, began experiencing strange feelings in his hands and arms. It started with a sporadic loss of strength in his hands and grew to include tremors, shaking, and twitching in his arms, hands, shoulders, back, and chest. He wasn’t experiencing pain but showed signs of muscle deterioration. Nearly a year of diet change and healthy eating had not alleviated his symptoms. Matt began exploring a cause or diagnosis of his condition in early 2015. In February 2015, a neurologist confirmed the initial diagnosis that Matt has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. When Matt was diagnosed, there was only one FDA approved medication on the market. This slowed the progression of the disease by a few months in a small percentage of patients. In the time since Matt has learned much about ALS. His family and friends joined over 30,000 U.S. families that face this disease each year. ALS is a disease in which neuron cells in the brain and spinal cord slowly deteriorate. Over time, ALS destroys the ability to; walk, speak, eat, swallow, and breathe. As a former Marine who revels in the challenge of a seemingly impossible task, Matt wanted to be an inspiration for others battling ALS. Soon after his diagnosis, Matt came up with a slogan: “Uncrushable Spirit.” Matt embodies that philosophy every day. Although his diagnosis is a setback, he will not give up and will continue to look for blessings every day in his life.