THE BINDER FAMILY NEEDS YOUR HELP

In June 2021, Brooks was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease). For more than a year before his diagnosis, Brooks had experienced weakness in his hands, which he assumed was arthritis or perhaps nerve damage from an old sports injury to his wrist. The diagnosis of ALS was a terrible and confusing surprise to Brooks and Carolin, his wife and life partner for more than 30 years, and to their four sons. Their lives have been upended on many different levels.

Since early July 2021, Brooks has been a patient in Atlanta’s Emory ALS Center, where he has been able to receive excellent care and therapy, including medicine that appears to slow the progression of the disease. But as is typical for an ALS patient, the disease is steadily depriving him of critical function, particularly in his hands, legs, and speech. His ability to swallow and breathe normally is also becoming impaired. Currently, there is no cure for ALS, but there are some promising therapies in development. Brooks and his family are hopeful in their race against time to slow the progression of his ALS.

That same month, Brooks had to shut down his solo law practice as the dysfunction in his hands and speech impaired his ability to provide the sophisticated legal representation that his clients are entitled to. Walking away from his clients and the business that Brooks built over 28 years has been emotionally devastating and traumatic to him and his family. Brooks and his family are now living with the cruel irony of the loss of their economic livelihood at a critical time when the costs of his medical care and life support services are increasing rapidly beyond anything that he, nor most of us, ever planned for.

Blessed with loving and supportive family and friends, they need any help that you can provide during this difficult time in their lives.