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Man, 41, given just two years to live after mistaking ‘bizarre' symptom for a trapped nerve
Find everything you need to know about Andres' condition below
'HEARTBROKEN' Man, 41, given just two years to live after mistaking 'bizarre' symptom for a trapped nerve
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WHEN Andres Albaladejo noticed a "bizarre" symptom in his left arm he didn't think it was anything sinister.
Little did the 41-year-old know it was the first sign of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and he would have just two to three years to live.
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Andres and his wife Carmen noticed a twitch in his left arm in 2023
Credit: SWNS
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After seeing a neurologist, Andres was diagnosed with ALS
Credit: SWNS
Andres and his wife, Carmen Albaladejo, 39, noticed a twitch in his left arm in April 2023 but didn't think it was anything sinister.
A visit to the chiropractor confirmed Andres had a trapped nerve, but the weakness in his left arm continued, so Andres went to a neurologist.
The neurologist performed three EMGs - a medical test that measures the electrical activity in muscles - and referred Andres to an ALS - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - clinic in October 2023.
The clinic said Andres had ALS - a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord - and told him and his family he had two to three years to live.
In September 2024, Andres underwent stem cell therapy - to slow down or reverse the progression of the disease - which worked, but the effects have now worn off.
Carmen is now concentrating on making as many memories as possible with Andres and their 11-year-old daughter, Sophia.
Andres, a former school resource officer, from Tampa, Florida, US, said: "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.
"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.
"Instead, she has to watch me fall apart in front of her eyes.
"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."
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Carmen noticed Andres' left arm was twitching in April 2023, but they both thought it was a pinched nerve.
Soon after, Andres started experiencing weakness in his left arm, which he thought was strange.
His wife, Carmen, a senior accountant, said: "I noticed the twitching in his left arm and asked what was going on. IT WAS BIZARRE.
"I asked if he could feel it, if he was doing anything to make it twitch, but he said no.
"We thought it was a pinched nerve, but over time, he started experiencing arm weakness, and he wasn't able to grip with his left arm."
Two to five years to live
In June 2023, Andres went to the chiropractor, and an X-ray showed he did have some nerve compression, which came as a relief to the couple.
After treatments with the chiropractor, the arm weakness did not go away, and Andres was sent to a neurologist.
Carmen said: "At the time, the doctors said they were going to schedule him for a disc replacement surgery for the disc that was compressing his nerve.
"But before they went ahead and did that, they did three EMGs with the neurologist becoming more concerned each time as the twitching was travelling to his chest."
Andres was then transferred to an ALS clinic, where, after a strength test, he was diagnosed with ALS - the same condition Stephen Hawking had - and given a prognosis of two to five years.
Carmen and Andres were shocked and confused by the diagnosis, so they asked for a second opinion, which confirmed the ALS diagnosis.
From having a pinched nerve to being diagnosed with a terminal disease eight months later - we were in shock and denial
Andres Albaladejo
Carmen said: "From having a pinched nerve to being diagnosed with a terminal disease eight months later - we were in shock and denial.
"It was devastating, you can never imagine it happening to you or a loved one.
"In eight months, our lives completely changed. We thought it was nerve compression, and now Andres has a terminal illness with a prognosis of two to five years.
"It is a lot to hear in one appointment."
Andres is currently taking an ALS medication to slow the progression of the disease.
In September 2024, friends, family and strangers clubbed together to raise $26,235 (around £19,323) for stem cell therapy in the Cayman Islands in a bid to attempt to slow down or reverse the progression of the disease.
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Andres is currently taking medication to slow down the progression of ALS
Credit: SWNS
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The family are now trying to get their affairs in order, as they can't find any further treatments they can afford
Credit: SWNS
Currently, there are no FDA-approved stem cell therapies for ALS available in the US, but there are several trials to investigate the safety and efficacy of using stem cells to potentially slow or halt the progression.
Carmen said the treatment worked, but the effects have now worn off, and they can't afford another round of treatment.
She said: "We are facing the disease head-on and dealing with it every day.
"At this point, we are getting our affairs in order, as we can not see any promising treatments we can afford.
"We are trying to stay strong and make the best out of our situation."
Carmen recently bought a book for their daughter, Sofia, to sit with Andres and fill out so she can have memories of her dad.
Carmen said: "It is called 'about my father' a book that she will put together.
"She will get to ask him questions about his childhood, and get to know him from a different perspective.
"It allows her to have something that she could treasure forever."
