John Giacomazzi, the visionary behind the Fallon Skate Park on Venturacci Lane, has recently discovered he has Lou Gehrig’s disease and with his body rapidly shutting down, his family and friends have established a GoFundMe page to raise money to assist with new rounds of treatments. Giacomazzi is a 1999 graduate of Churchill County High School, and in 2000, he single-handedly went door-to-door seeking signatures on his petition to establish the Fallon Skate Park. He would explain the importance of having a skate park to each person he spoke to while gathering the necessary signatures.
His nickname is Peacock because like a peacock, real beauty is multiplied when you spread your wings and show your stuff. He is known to say, “Don’t be afraid to be who you are.”
He has also lived an adventurous life, traveling the world, chasing winter for snowboarding, soaring through the air whenever he got the chance. But according to postings his family and friends have made on his GoFundMe page, “John has recently had to take a step away from the mountains and trampolines due to significant pain he has been experiencing in his legs. Testing in November revealed massive neurological damage, and as his doctors put it, ‘his brain and his muscles have stopped liking to talk to each other’.” After a series of more tests in January, John was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS. His legs have gotten progressively worse, and he is now wheelchair-bound, no longer able to use crutches or live on his own. He moved from his home in Colorado as he wasn't able to maneuver well enough in the wheelchair. He is now staying with friends Michael and Claire and their daughter Mneme in Eugene, Oregon. Pain courses through his arms and lungs now as well. For those Zoolander fans, he said “It feels like I have the black lung!”
According to his GoFundMe page, 100 percent of the contributions will go directly to Giacomazzi (all donations are wired straight into his bank account), and will go towards prolonging and improving his quality of life. Pharmaceutical treatments, medical treatments, medical equipment, assistive devices, home-care/ home modifications are all expenses that will need to be covered in the not-too-distant future. The American Journal of Managed Care website has an article titled, “Economic Implications: Direct and Indirect Costs of ALS Therapy”, that states the total annual cost for ALS patients in the USA is $69,475 (https://www.ajmc.com/view/als-managed-care-considerations). The first stem cell treatment will cost $25,000 and multiple treatments will be needed.
Giacomazzi is scheduled for a stem cell exam trial in June and July. He is scheduled for his second COVID vaccination on May 4th, enabling him to travel to the Cayman Islands for stem cell treatments with the hopes that the treatments slow the progression of the disease.
The link to the GoFundMe page for John is: https://gofund.me/53fcd102
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