How An ALS Patient Battled With Choosing His Last Day | NBC News
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- čas přidán 12. 06. 2024
- How do you choose your last day on Earth? When George Gallegos was diagnosed with ALS, he found himself facing a grim future with a disease that slowly kills the muscles in a person’s body. But with the passing of Colorado's End of Life Options Act, he suddenly had a choice: to die from his disease or to take life-ending medication. NBC News spent the last three months of his life with him to capture the visible struggles of ALS and George’s inner conflict to decide his last day.
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How An ALS Patient Battled With Choosing His Last Day | NBC News
If you don't want to die desperately gasping for breath and having terror in your last moments, you deserve compassion. Let people experience peace in their last moments.
Agreed!
Thanks
How do you do that?
Ive had severe chronic asthma since my teens
Many times have been a close call , blue lighted in
However theres been times ive collapsed in e.r waiting room
..after friend or family drove me in.
..and many times, the e.r team walk past me whilst im in this state
..choking to death....
They want me to wait..
I dont understand why they ignore me
Whilst i am weak , i cant shout at them.
Luckily my loved ones have to fight them to get urgent help.
Here in uk, as an adult the pararmedics and nurses think im faking it
A while later i find out í have a serious chest infection
..and nearly didnt make it
This happens often, and now i feel like giving up.
I often need several courses of steroids and strong antibio6ics just to survive
I hate hospitals now
How can anyone ignore people who are struggling to breathe .?
One day , i will die in front of them,
..due to their ignorance and unprofessional attitude.
The nhs in uk is broken.
Save yourself and go private if you can
Get yourself health insurance
Medical teams will only help you, if you wave money in their face
I live right next door to private hospital
Its ironic
One of the most frightening ways to die
..not being able to breathe, shoking to death..
Every winter , oct to feb, i never expect to make it to spring
Every year i get at least 2 life threatening infcetions.
Yet the medical teams still question me
...and judge me
Many people are dying from neglect
Many are turned away from e,r and later die at home
Its a sad state of affairs
Good luck everyone
Try and get someone to support and fight on your behalf
I watched my dad pass this weekend with ALS it was awful from diagnosing till death was 8 months.. My dad chose when and how he died.. He took his bi-pap off and went out side and sat in the car and passed he had told us he wasn’t being put on a vent.. I will miss him forever but he is not in pain and is walking the streets of gold right now in his new body
what a brave man. he died with pride and dignity.
Chad121130 I’m so sorry 😔
What a brave man.
I respect his choice.
He was able to fully move and walk?..
My beautiful wife Angie was diagnosed with asl/mnd about 10 months ago, I don’t think the reality of the illness had hit home until I watched this . We have difficult days ahead, RIP George.
Bless you guys.
How is Angie doing? I will keep her in my thoughts.
My late wife had ALS. There are people who can help. Please call the ALS Association at (800) 782-4747, or email them at alsinfo@alsa-national.org They can help your wife, and they can help you, too.
May your wife be blessed by our lord's grace to see thru this affliction until the very end. Suicide is not the way, as one cannot gain passage to heaven otherwise. Stay faithful, go with Christ.
Consider medications for ALS, it will help when there’s trouble breathing, it won’t help breathe but it will help. My Dad was afraid & I had NEVER seen him afraid of anything before. Pain medicine helped him so much. He was not an addict type person, it had nothing to do with that.
I’m 31 and am living with als. I admire this man’s courage. It’s been non stop crying for me. I’m so scared to die.
i am so sorry for this , how did this start and how did it happen to you?
@@richardbyfield1918 I don’t know how it happened to me, just unlucky. It started with only widespread muscle twitching for many months.
God bless you
I hope you are okay. I just lost my girlfriend in January. She cried every day too. She was scared to die too.
Prayers dear
ALS seems to go after the most active, vivacious people. It's so unfair. RIP George.
What a sweet man he was.... life is so unfair.
Life is unfair indeed. Some people are truly chosen ones to be tested by our lord. While others like you and I, who aren't blessed to be tested.
my dad just passed away with ALS last week... he fought for 15 months. I will miss him forever. Rest in peace dad.
My condolences to you and your family 🙏🏾💐
So sorry for your loss
Rest In Peace George
Unfortunately we all live in denial regards to death. We all want to live the best pleasures of life and we never stop to think that one day death will come with or without suffering. But when we know that there is no hope for life, desperation will take over of our mind and so many people wants find death as soon as possible as one way decrease suffering. That kind of people have their mind absorbed by materialism and forget that death is part of life. George made the right choice, he did not seek death because deep inside he knew that death would find him. Congratulations George, you are a Winner you are a hero !!!.....and you will find peace in your new journey.
Deepest condolences to George and his family. They exhibit true courage.
George looked like a man who enjoyed his wife, his family and his life. RIP.
Thank you to the Gallegos family for allowing us to see into their life for the last few months of George's. May his memory be a blessing.
Rest in peace George. He seemed like such a fun guy!!
13:56 the way she smelled his clothes just to get another memory. My heart.
Pretty common, actually.
When I see diseases like this, I just want to know why. I am so sorry you lost George. .
Why? Don’t be childish
@@catman8670 : Um, what am I missing here? How is my comment childish?
Maybe it was just a little too existential for you…
A lot of respect for George and his wife. Good people, you can tell.
RIP George. I hope to see a cure for this disease in my lifetime.
Such a lovely man. My deepest condolences to his wife Karen and all his family.
I lost my father to ALS in January of 2020. He only lived 3 years after diagnosis. It was painful to watch him wither away to almost nothing. I would never wish this disease on anyone. He was very prideful and to see him lose his dignity was terrifying. We need a cure
I’m very sorry for your loss, I can’t imagine what it’s like to see that. Just 48hr ago my mom informed us my step dad has just been diagnosed. I’m trying to better understand this disease myself.
I lost my girlfriend January 2023 she found out last year November.
RIP George. I cannot praise his carers and his family enough.
A very poignant piece of reporting.
Feel so bad for Ashley, the young woman at the ALS support meeting. She looks too young to be diagnosed with it but it shows that you can come down with it at any time and any age.
When I was 12, one of our volunteer coaches was diagnosed with ALS. She was just 19. She died just months later. As I grew older and learned more about ALS, I was shocked that she died so quickly, because usually it takes years. But she did lose the use of her arms (started in one arm) and it went from there. I learned that she basically suffocated, since her diaphragm eventually was not functioning either. It's a horrible disease. God bless everyone who must endure it, as well as those who have already succumbed to it, like this amazing soul, George. May God comfort all of their families.
People with ALS do not die from suffocation. It is almost always a peaceful passing. As the diaphram slowly fails, the body becomes less efficient at eliminating carbon dioxide, which causes a gradual loss of consciousness. It is among the most peaceful ways to pass away.
Dave Killoran not necessarily some patients you can see fear or distress in their eyes as they pass. It mentions it in the UK ALS support package for family and caress.
When people hear that ALS patients usually die of respiratory failure related to the diaphram weakening, they commonly believe, inaccurately, that it means the patient "suffocates" or "chokes." I replied because M Garcia's post seemed to perpetuate this misconception. Anyone who wishes to be more fully informed about this subject can refer to the European MND Association's Professional Guide to End of Life Care, which states that "Death in the majority of cases is very peaceful, following lengthening
periods of sleepiness, gradually resulting in a coma." See static.mndassociation.org/app/uploads/2012/04/19135713/px012-a-professional-guide-to-end-of-life-care-in-mnd-v1-0-jan16-web.pdf. The guide cites to a study by Neudert C., et al., "The course of the terminal phase in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." J Neurol. 2001; 248:612-616 (defining "a good or peaceful death as the type of death one would choose if there were a choice. . . . The most important result, confirming clinical experience, is that the vast majority of ALS patients (G 88%, UK 98%; p=0.11) died peacefully and no patient 'choked to death.'" The authors noted that "the chances of ALS
patients for a peaceful death appear to be above, rather than below, average." www.researchgate.net/profile/Maria_Wasner/publication/11827693_The_course_of_the_terminal_phase_in_patients_with_amyotrophic_lateral_sclerosis/links/0fcfd50fd09fd4bee7000000.pdf
My eyes filled with tears for Ashley. She looked so scared as she held George's hand and got a look at her possible future. ALS would be worse than dementia because you are aware of every loss of functionality. Loss of memory of love ones is equally bad. All of it is like a very long goodbye.
I agree F..... ALS! What a wonderful man he seemed to be. He had a great sense of humor and a wonderful likeability about him. I immediately liked him when I watched this video. RIP George and I send love to his family and friends.
Thank you for sharing some of your family's most heartbreaking moments with the world, sharing your knowledge & experience with ALS is so appreciated. Our condolences to your family. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
That man was a hero. Good bless him and his family m
RIP George. You were a force of nature.
What a beautiful soul. He is probably dancing wherr he is now. 💖💙💖
Suicides don't goto heaven though. Hopefully he's given a chance to do penance and can still gain entry to be one with god again, in time.
@@AK-tx1vgyou don't know that. In fact you can't even guarantee heaven.
God bless everyone. My friend is in the last stages and it’s hard. I am heartbroken. In may she was losing strength on her right side of her body and now August 22, 2022 she is in the icu unable to breathe on her own, unable to speak unable to use her arms or legs or swallow. We really need to find a cure for this horrible disease. Hurts to see her lose quality of life so rapidly.
Rest In Peace, George
just puts into perspective how lucky I am that my family is safe and healthy right now.
George is a very unselfish person. ❤ Bless his wife and family. He wanted to be free of the disease that attacked his body. Such bravery from a human being ever. 🙏🏾💐
my dad made the choice too, i always wish he stayed longer but i guess it’s selfish of me b/c he didn’t want to suffer.
Thank you for sharing this brave couple's story. It touched and moved me to tears. I deal with chronic pain that is nowhere near this man's suffering. But even with the little pain I deal with in comparison, I have an understanding of the sense of loss, the fear & anxiety, and the grief that comes with debilitating illness. So having said that, I'm totally for the human right to choose how to end your own life if you've come to the point of no return and commend the states that have legalized it. I think this is the courageous and humane thing to do for people who want to end unbearable, unnecessary and pointless suffering. God bless you, George! Thank you for sharing your story with us. Your warmth, sweetness and joy came through on the video. I am sure you're in a good place now. And God bless your wife too! I can feel her love and compassion through the video. You guys have the relationship that countless others like me can only wish they could have -- unconditional love that transcends time and space, life and death. God bless you!
My beautiful mother lived a very terrified life in the past 3 years due to the steady distraction caused by ALS. She was diagnosed with ALS in 2016. This disease was progressing rapidly. She worked as a teacher for 28 years and she was really much exposed to interacting with people, since she retired few years ago she has been faced with this, on several occassion she has attempted suicide, as she suffered not being surrounded with people she once loved because of this deadly Als. This got to me as her only son so I sort and started searching for lots of medication and supplements to reinstate her health state to normal. She also had 3 stem cell therapies done that didn't give her any improvement, well maybe only a little. Through my research and severe thirst for my deing mothers health state, I was fortunate enough to get a herbal medicine for her from Dr. Vihaan that put a final stop to the Als and she has not had any of the symptoms returned since then. At first she couldn't pick up anything, but that changed after few weeks and several other things went away after taken his herbal medicine. She can now move her hands, and can walk/drive on her own and her speech is perfectly well. Most doctors might tell you there is no cure but as a caregiver to the survivor of this I will tell you it is curable. To get the medicine for yourself just reach him personally on Vihaanrey38@gmail.com
ALS is a ruthless disease ... RIP George....
Made he rest in peace people should be allow to choose how to exit this life in a peaceful way....
Agreed! Same for MND and Alziehmers which my dad passed from in 2011.
My brother in law Chris lost his battle with ALS. July 4th 2023 he was very courageous till the end. My sister is lost without him. They were married 19 yrs he wad only 44. Rip Chris you will be missed
my sympathies about George; he looked like a great standup guy...my best and oldest friend on this earth is slipping away from this goddamned disease....I write this with tears for you, me and all the people connected with this dreadful disease
Awe...RIP George bless you...no more pain and suffering...condolences to his family 🙏🏻♥️
This is sad 😞
Agreed. Im choking up
trying 2 watch this
That was amazing and sad to watch. Sorry to the family.
RIP George 🙏.
Brave, wonderful guy!
Bless you for being there for George.
Heartbreaking 💔. Rest In Peace George 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
My mum passed three weeks ago after a 5.5 battle with ALS. I miss her so much, but she suffered horribly. It's still killing me
Hope you are doing ok!
I feel for you ❤
He wanted his wife to be happy and happy for him. Sell the house get a smaller one somewhere nice and pursue her dreams and enjoy her last days. Take his clothes with her and remember the love they shared.
The home/house has the memories in each room. Every opening of a drawer or door has years of memories linked to it, they won’t be triggered the same way in a new environment. Smelling clothes that didn’t belong to George or were washed with an overpowering cleaner wouldn’t be the same as smelling HIM on HIS clothes.
I know what you mean though. Many people wouldn’t be okay with staying there after such a traumatic experience, however, she had learned to live like that. She likely feels comforted by the closeness (as evidenced by her laying on top of the clothes he was wearing and sleeping in the bed he passed away in) and selling the house would only traumatize her again. She would lose even more than she’s already lost, it just isn’t right for her.
My good friend was only a few years into her retirement from a lifetime of being a teacher when she was diagnosed with ALS. It progressed fast. Luckily, she lived in Washington State and was able to take the option of death with dignity. I recommend researching the laws in any state you plan to live in to see if death with dignity laws exist there, otherwise you may be stuck with no option.
Condolences.
I live in Washington state and I'll ride it out till i cant if i inherit this disease from my father.
Rest in power George
That was so sad. His poor wife. What a lovely man, RIP.
I only saw George in this program for a few minutes but I really wished he was a friend! What a fun guy, I really liked his smile ☺. Thanks for sharing him!❤
I've never cried to any film or video or anything like that before, but this video.. Was the first
What a LIVELY SOUL with a beautiful smile 😁George 🤔The body is only temporarily borrowed for the soul's expressions🙂A GOOD INSIGHT to ALS 👍🏾George DID well🙂George IS WELL 🙏🏾 p.s. Love his humour 😂
God bless him he is a brave man.
This is such a sad story. Always had problem with someone praying for someone/thing. It's an insult, if you think god is a total evil to even create this kind of thing. Lost my faith long before I lost my mom to ALS.
I’m bawling.
R.I.P George 🙏🏽
I'd loved to have met George, I liked his sense of humour !. Deepest sympathy to his wife, family and friends x
So sad, RIP. I have this disease and believe like him, no respiratory. I will end my life when the time is right.
There’s a herbal medicine that cure ALS but the doctors always deceived people about herbal medicine so they can make more money through pharmaceutical drugs.I was cure completely with the use of pharmaceutical drugs giving to me by my doctor and I keep on wasting money until I met someone testifying about how he help her and I ask for he’s contact then reaching him,he told me what to do and how to make use of the herbal medicine after doing as he said for 21 days,I went back to hospital for test and I was confirmed cure completely.
I advice you to get a herbal medicine.
“Seeing is believing “
Beware of fake doctor
My heart is full of not only painful memories but beautiful moments I shared with my mother before she passed Thanksgiving '92 after living with ALS for less than 2 short years. God Bless you and yours my friends I feel your loss and wish you the best of healing in the future after enduring such pain. My heart aches, sobbing uncontrollably as you share your story. Thank you I love you
RIP George 🕊 🕊 🕊❤️
Rest In Peace ✌️
I know this all too well,I too lost my loved one to ALS. Rest peacefully.
RIP George.
RIP, George.
My mom just got diagnosed with ALS. Official today. I'm scared.
There are people who can help. Please call the ALS Association at (800) 782-4747, or email them at alsinfo@alsa-national.org They can help your mom, and they can help you, too.
Go to Global Stem Cells CZcams Channel. Stem Cells help fight ALS.
There’s a herbal medicine that cure ALS but the doctors always deceived people about herbal medicine so they can make more money through pharmaceutical drugs.I was cure completely with the use of pharmaceutical drugs giving to me by my doctor and I keep on wasting money until I met someone testifying about how he help her and I ask for he’s contact then reaching him,he told me what to do and how to make use of the herbal medicine after doing as he said for 21 days,I went back to hospital for test and I was confirmed cure completely.
I advice you to get a herbal medicine.
“Seeing is believing “
Beware of fake doctor
@@terryjames6260 You should be ashamed trying to sell snake oil to dying people.
Rip George This Is So Sad This Story Is An Great Reporting About Als
P
Spot Ashley, the young lady attending the support group, diagnosed a month prior to filming😢
Rest in peace George.
This should be permitted throughout the U.S. This is so sad, that children and adults are suffering like this, and they can't get relief like this! That is our country people. I'm so glad this poor gentleman was able to rest. I mean, ALS is such a horrific disorder! YOU NEED NOT SUFFER THIS WAY!
God bless you!
The person's right to choose is vital.
I’m so sorry…😪
He is so brave and courageous. If I had the opportunity to choose the day while having this debilitating disease I would do it in a heartbeat. Bam, Friday at 3:00 done.
My client told me she has ASL today & I'm so sad for her now. I can see her deteriorating every monthly visit for the past year, but i don't act any different with her & give her words of affirmation every time she speaks on her condition. It is still nonetheless, heavy 🥺
To love beyond measure takes it's measure
…kills the nerves which leads to the muscles dying off.
My neighbor was just diagnosed with ALS how did I keep his spirits up he is so depressed it breaks my heart
My beautiful mother lived a very terrified life in the past 3 years due to the steady distraction caused by ALS. She was diagnosed with ALS in 2016. This disease was progressing rapidly. She worked as a teacher for 28 years and she was really much exposed to interacting with people, since she retired few years ago she has been faced with this, on several occassion she has attempted suicide, as she suffered not being surrounded with people she once loved because of this deadly Als. This got to me as her only son so I sort and started searching for lots of medication and supplements to reinstate her health state to normal. She also had 3 stem cell therapies done that didn't give her any improvement, well maybe only a little. Through my research and severe thirst for my deing mothers health state, I was fortunate enough to get a herbal medicine for her from Dr. Vihaan that put a final stop to the Als and she has not had any of the symptoms returned since then. At first she couldn't pick up anything, but that changed after few weeks and several other things went away after taken his herbal medicine. She can now move her hands, and can walk/drive on her own and her speech is perfectly well. Most doctors might tell you there is no cure but as a caregiver to the survivor of this I will tell you it is curable. To get the medicine for yourself just reach him personally on Vihaanrey38@gmail.com
Please ignore the bogus reply of "richard walker." There is no cure for ALS. However, there are people who can help. Please call the ALS Association at (800) 782-4747, or email them at alsinfo@alsa-national.org They can help your neighbor.
Let him be sad. He might cry every day, but that releases stress. He will come to terms with his new normal and adapt. But he will never be totally happy again. If he can keep doing things he used to do, that will make him feel a little better.
Depression is rage turned inwards. Let him be angry.
Every state should have End of life.
The whole world should have end of life.
That doggy is so cute
My brother died of ALS; what an incredibly horrible disease!
This is so incredibly sad
So sad to see this happening to people
RIP, George 🙏
Karen hope you are okay?.God bless
Lord please bless the ones who passed from ALS. Please pay attention to this world to find a cure or at least slow down the process. This disease is horrible and at this moment a very good man married to a loving wife with 4 children was diagnosed with ALS as many others with him in this world. He does not deserve this in life. I met him in a very strange way but he made a great impression. I cannot go into details but if I could give part of my life to save him, I would. I cannot comprihend the fact why he had to be confronted as the one of many good people dealing with the illness having ALS.
2:48 "The End Of Life Option Act"
I can’t imagine the pain and suffering this disease causes, but I’m not sure I agree with suicide. But, it’s easy for me to say this because I don’t have the disease, so each person has to make this decision for themselves.
So true.
ALS does not cause any physical pain. In fact its very painless.
This disease is insidious in it's slow slide to death. Its victims eventually lose the simplest of abilities that we all take for granted. Talking, eating, drinking and eventually even breathing. Being locked in a failing body like being locked a straight jacket, unable to move or speak, absolutely horrible. I can't find fault in anybody who wants to take an easier path to death. That said, I am now watching my wife lose her battle with ALS and God forgive me for my selfishness but I want every last second with her that I can get. More needs to be learned so that we can prevent future generations from succumbing to this terrible disease.
4D Chess Player it can be very painful- listen to this to see
It's not suicide. His fate was already sealed. He was just seeking to hasten it to avoid unnecessary suffering.
George 👍💔
Als Needs Treatments Medications Better Outcomes Not Deaths So Sad Rest In Peace To The Family Of George Gallegos
Ashley 😭
Lord Jesus-I squalled like a baby at the end of this, when they showed his wife smelling his clothes and looking at his empty bed. I lost my significant-other 26 months ago and I could see and feel her pain.
Her husband is in a much better place but I know the emptiness in her heart and the loneliness she will endure. God bless her!
We’re all born to a losing struggle
This is so sad what a horrible illness,my son in law just passed away from same illness,May both rest in peace😢
My Dad had ALS & they kept him alive til his insurance ran out. Then they let his body go thru withdrawal because they just stopped all medications. I was too you g to know what was going on. Please face the facts of ALS. Assisted suicide is a slippery slope but als is so serious it must be allowed.
This is so unbelievable!! How can I ever explain to the world that Dr ALUDA on CZcams cured my (ALS) with his herbal medication. i feel so happy and excited...
Being a caretaker is the least appreciated job. My baby sister took care of both my parents. It was so unfair. I tried to go home but mom said no. So I never got the time with either of them. But I also know my sister had the hardest time. They were her parents. We shared my dad with her. And my oldest b4other shared our mom . She was their baby. She did a beautiful job. She is the least selfish person I know
George did not choose his last day. He passed away naturally. NBC should have used its footage to show how people with ALS suffer unnecessarily due to lack of adequate medical equipment and home health care. It takes a long time to shower an ALS patient, but George's shower chair did not recline or have any head support, clearly causing discomfort and difficulty breathing. But instead of pointing out the shortfalls in his home medical care, the reporters portray him as being better off dead. This video does not help people with ALS.
This is so hard to watch - such a horrible disease.
Any update on Ashley?
God's Speed George.
I was just diagnosed with Progressive ALS an my speech is slurred people can't understand what im talking about. I have the most difficult time swallowing food and water. My right arm is so weak i can't lift a glass of water to drink without using both hands.
One thing that I've noticed is that if ALS is so rare how come so many people have it?
Less als deaths than cancer, cardiac, diabetes. The neurons just wear out. Athletes show this.
I feel for his wife
I could see she was lost without him.
There is nothing more important in This world
Like health and family
Above all a relationship with Christ.
🙏 💛
❤❤❤