Dear Dr. Walk and the M Health Fairview ALS team,

A year ago, I was reeling after receiving the worst diagnosis I could imagine: ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. I had been told I had this disease by a community doctor and then had the diagnosis confirmed by another specialist. When I met with you, I already knew what I had and what it meant. Still, you took an hour to give me a full exam because you felt I deserved your diagnosis and support before I began treatment.

The first day we met you, you spent two hours with my wife, Tessa, and me answering our difficult questions. You adjusted the schedule in the ALS clinic so that I could be seen immediately by your team, and you quickly created a care plan that prioritized my quality of life. 

More importantly, you gave us a sense of comfort and hope that we had not felt in months.

Even further, Dr. Walk, you have continued to be an advocate for patients living with this disease. Your involvement in research and community programs to support those living with ALS and to find treatments to end or slow the progression of ALS is incredibly inspiring.

I know your goal is to cure this incurable disease.

Facing a progressive terminal illness, especially at the age of 40, is overwhelming, to say the least. It takes an army of support: physically, emotionally, and financially. Dr. Walk, I have always seen you as the general of that army. You address our questions and concerns with care and consideration, and you’re there for us whenever we need help. I am forever grateful to you and your team.

From Tessa and me, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

— Kevin Geraghty, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2021, in a letter to M Health Fairview neurologist David Walk, M.D., and his team