At the age of 50, Joan Dancy, a mother of two from Middletown, NJ, was told she had ALS. Joan and her fiance Terry found that despite the numerous medical centers, there were few resources available locally to help patients and their caregivers with financial and emotional support.

Before Joan passed away, she asked Terry to change that situation. Joan’s wish became a reality when Terry founded the Joan Dancy & PALS Foundation, an all-volunteer organization. Recognizing that the disease impacts the everyday lives of the patient and their loved ones in many different ways, JD & PALS provides direct grants to address critical individual needs and hosts a monthly support group meeting at Riverview Medical Center.

Terry Magovern passed away suddenly on July 30, 2007. He was our guiding light and visionary leader.

Joan Dancy and PALS is a non-profit organization which can provide nursing, electronic communication devices, wheelchairs and lifts, in-home care and financial support when needed. We currently have 52 patients in our community, but this changes everyday.

It is almost impossible to truly express what an incredible man Terry was, but if you’d like to know more, click here.

In Loving Memory of
Timothy M. O’Neill Sr. “Cappy”.
October 6, 1960 – July 11, 2007.

God saw you were getting tired,
and a cure was not to be,
so he put his arms around you
and whispered, “Come to me”.

With tearful eyes we watched you,
and saw you pass away.
Although we loved you dearly,
We could not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,
hard working hands at rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us, he only takes the best.

A loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, friend, fire fighter. Rusty battled this horrible disease with family and friends by his side everyday. He kept a smile on his face knowing that he was living with a disease that had no cure. He will be missed by all that knew him.

The years we’ve shared have been full of joy.
The memories we’ve made will go on and on.
I haven’t stopped crying since you went away,
and I’ve asked God time and time why couldn’t you stay.
You lit up my life, my hopes, and my dreams.
You’ve opened my eyes to see what it all means.
So now that you’re gone how can I forget;
Because you were the greatest out all I have met.

Just over two years ago Anne was playing with her grandchildren, enjoying the beach and rooting on her beloved Tar Heels with her husband Wilkes. That all changed when she was diagnosed with ALS. For two years she battled valiantly but inevitably fell victim to this dreaded disease last October.

When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking

I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator,
and I wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you feed a stray cat,
and I thought it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me,
and I knew that little things are special things.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I heard you say a prayer,
and I believed there is a God I could always talk to.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I felt you kiss me goodnight,
and I felt loved.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw tears come from your eyes,
and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it’s all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw that you cared
and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked…
and wanted to say thanks for all the things
I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.
— Anonymous

As of late 2007, at age 61, Laura was full of life and happy as could be. She walked two miles a day and worked 5 days a week. She was active, fit and healthy. Her cholesterol levels were a tad high, so her doctor prescribed Crestor. Early symptoms were difficult to identify or detect, but within 8 months Laura had developed full blown ALS. She experienced a rapid decline in health, and the disease finally took her life in December 2008.

Laura was a loving mother of three, grandmother of three and friend to many. She was regarded by so many who knew her as just plain “happy”. Laura was a gifted singer and pianist, as well as a very talented writer. She also had great respect for all living creatures: she’d rather scoop up a spider in a napkin than smush it! It is remarkable how someone so full of love and joy, just bursting with life, could be taken down so mercilessly.

Though her family stayed close and cared for her during her battle with ALS, Laura’s undying spirit was her greatest ally. She kept her optimism right through to the end. She was one in a billion.

“Stronger are your wings, flying through life. In the hands of the wind, in a Parade of Angels”