Fundraiser to pay for ALS patient's funeral expenses


By MARLO BARNHART (marlob@herald-mail.com)

MAUGANSVILLE - Ann Moats speaks haltingly about the fundraiser for her son Saturday at Maugansville Ruritan Club. After all, it is to raise money for funeral expenses when he loses his battle with Lou Gehrig's disease.


Moats said the Hagerstown Country-Western Dance Association, of which she is a member, is sponsoring the fundraiser from 7 to 11 p.m.


There will be a silent auction, music and line dancing. Tickets for nonmembers cost $6, Moats said. All proceeds will go toward her son's final expenses.



Moats lives in Martinsburg, W.Va., as does her son, Robert Wayne Sims, 40.


Sims was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis when he was 38, Moats said. The incurable disease has relegated Sims to a scooter, and he requires help with basic needs.


"My son has his own apartment," Moats said. "But he has no insurance."


Sims' physician is Dr. Terrence Reidy at Shenandoah Valley Medical Center in Martinsburg. Contacted by telephone, Reidy confirmed Sims' ailment.


"Robert is doing remarkably well," Reidy said. "His spirits are good."


Moats said her son has caregivers and friends who help with his care. He will be unable to attend the fundraiser because of his condition, she said.


Checks to help with Sims' final expenses may be made payable to the Hagerstown Country-Western Dance Association, Box 2542, Hagerstown, MD 21741.

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