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Father, 39, Has 1 Minor Symptom. Then He's Given 2 Years to Live After 'Devastating' Diagnosis
A Florida man's muscle spasms seemed harmless at first, but eventually progressed and led to a devastating diagnosis
Andres Albaladejo was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2023
His wife Carmen has become his primary caretaker at home and has been documenting the family's journey on TikTokWhen a Florida man first noticed muscle spasms in one of his arms, he wasn't immediately concerned that it could be a symptom of something more serious.
Andres Albaladejo, 41, and his wife Carmen told the Daily Mail that they first noticed the twitching in his left arm around April 2023.
'It was bizarre. I asked if he could feel it, if he was doing anything to make it twitch, but he said no,' she said.
The spasms progressed for Albaladejo and he soon experienced arm weakness, difficulty gripping things, and high blood pressure, Newsweek reported. Within months, doctors diagnosed him with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, a condition that causes progressive loss of muscle control.
'I was heartbroken when I heard the news, like my life was being taken from me piece by piece – I still have so much of me to give,' he told DM.
"Hearing the diagnosis was devastating, we were in complete shock,' Carmen said to Newsweek. 'Sitting in that doctor's office, the weight of it all hit us at once. We broke down in tears. It was one of the hardest moments of our lives, filled with fear, sorrow, and so many unanswered questions.'
ALS symptoms can include difficulty walking, tripping, and slurred speech, among others, and it often first appears in the hands, feet, arms, or legs, according to the Mayo Clinic. There is no cure, but medical treatment can slow the disease's progress.
Life changed in an instant for Albaladejo, who used to work as a school resource officer, and he worried about his family's future, including his 11-year-old daughter Sophia. He was 39 years old when he received the diagnosis in late 2023, according to Newsweek.
'I'm angry that I won't be here to see my little girl grow into the smart, kind, and beautiful woman I know she will be. I think that hurts the most,' Albaladejo said. 'Instead, she has to watch me fall apart in front of her eyes.'
But he wants to leave a legacy she can be proud of. 'I just hope that throughout all of this, my daughter still sees me as her hero, as I face this disease with determination and strength,' he added.
Daily life in Tampa has shifted drastically for the couple, who started dating when they were teenagers.
'In eight months, our lives completely changed. We thought it was nerve compression, and now Albaladejo has a terminal illness with a prognosis of two to five years,' Carmen told the Daily Mail.
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Per Newsweek, Albaladejo relies on a wheelchair to get around and Carmen has become her husband's primary caregiver.
"To see someone go from being completely independent to nearly fully dependent in under two years is truly heartbreaking," she told Newsweek.
Carmen has been documenting the family's journey on TikTok and Albaladejo's sister started a GoFundMe that has already raised more than $26,000.
'It's a cruel condition that robs a person of their vitality, strength and mobility,' Carmen wrote online in 2024. 'It's been a rough year for us and even through it all, we still do what we can to just live life every day.'
Although there's no cure, the Albaladejo family is pressing forward as best they can.
'At this point, we are getting our affairs in order, as we cannot see any promising treatments we can afford,' Carmen told the Daily Mail. 'We are trying to stay strong and make the best out of our situation.'
Read the original article on People
