ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A man in Michigan received a devastating diagnosis in August 2018 when doctors told him he had Lou Gehrig's Disease.
Most of the people diagnosed with the fatal disease get in their 40s, but Dominic Minidis is only 22 years old.
ALS is a progressive disease that causes loss of muscle control.
Despite the grim diagnosis, he is keeping a positive outlook about the road ahead.
“Once you find out you, just have to live with it. Find a way to be positive. It’s one of those things that slowly takes over, but you have to not focus on it,” said Minidis.
There is no cure for the neurological disease and most people live just two to five years after their diagnosis.
His family is originally from the Grand Rapids area but moved near Detroit to be close to the ALS clinic at the University of Michigan. Minidis’ mom says it's an especially painful diagnosis for her because of his young age.
“What goes through my head is trying to make every moment matter and make every moment count,” said Joy Minidis.
Dominic Minidis already needs to use a wheelchair to get around and his disease is rapidly progressing. He hopes science will one day find a cure and although his diagnosis is grim, he does his best to keep a positive outlook.
His motto is to keep going forward.
Joy Minidis says treatment for his disease is expensive, with the average yearly cost for someone with ALS being around $250,000. Dominic Minidis’ biggest wish is to get a service dog that can help him.
The family has started a GoFundMe to raise funds for his care.
