Can you live without hugging?

The human body contains more than 600 muscles. They work together to enable our every movement - from simple actions like lifting a spoon to more complex ones like running or speaking.

The deltoid muscle is a good example. It allows you to lift your arm, and when it stops functioning, you can no longer pick things up, get dressed, or hug anyone.

Then there are the circular muscles of the mouth, essential for eating, whistling, and kissing. Without them, many everyday actions - including speaking - become impossible.

Then there’s the diaphragm, one of the largest muscles in the body. It not only facilitates respiration but also stabilizes the torso. When it weakens, you can't breathe, eat or sleep.

At first, Kasia's finger started to twitch. Then she started falling down more and more often. SA few months later, she could no longer hold a cup of coffee. Now she cannot hug her husband or children because she can't lift her arms. She can’t voice what she needs to because it's hard to understand what she's saying. Life is made up of things she can no longer do.

This is the reality of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The muscles gradually weaken and stop working, trapping you in a body you cannot control while your mind remains sharp as ever. Everyday simple tasks become impossible challenges. You can't eat, your breathing becomes worse and worse. Only the brain works perfectly. And the eyes.

The disease will never affect them. 

And there is no effective cure yet. 

Kasia, our friend from university, is now almost two years into her diagnosis. She can still smile the most beautiful smile, even though her body can't do much more. Kasia's life is full of love. Love for her husband - they have been together for 24 years. Love for her daughters (11 and 14 years old), one of whom has been struggling since birth with a disability and need for cyclical operations. Love for work, because Kasia loves languages and the written word. Love for the people who are there for her in her illness. 

And if love were enough, we wouldn’t need this fundraiser. But in order to face ALS, money is crucial.

We need money to pay for:

• a stair lift so that Kasia can go for a walk
• home modifications to accommodate her evolving needs
• eye-tracking equipment for communication
• ongoing health care, physiotherapy and rehabilitation

You can give Kasia and her family a little bit of faith and a lot of comfort. Some more time, more life and more dignity. And even more smiles. 

With your help, we can give her more time for what matters most - being a mother, a wife, a friend.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your support truly matters!

And please share it if you can.