Danielle Camacho, the Ladera Ranch mother of two teenage daughters, is continuing her courageous battle with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, according to her father, Albert Magee, 65, of Lake Arrowhead, who has moved in with her to see to her every need while Danielle’s husband. Alfred, stays in LA five days a week where he is a firefighter.

Danielle is shown in the photo on the left during the 2008 Taste of Ladera with her husband Alfred and Michelle Patterson.

"Danielle is slowly loosing her ability to breathe," Al Magee told the Ladera Times.

Unfortunately for the extended Camacho family, Al Magee has been diagnosed with a non-malignant brain tumor and is schedule to undergo surgery to remove the tumor at Loma Linda Hospital.

Assuming the surgery goes as planned, Danielle’s father won’t be able to help the family until mid-December at the earliest.

The family has hired someone to help in Al’s absence but the Camacho family is in dire need of funds to help pay for the stagger costs of fighting this horrific disease.

Those wishing to make a donation to help with the family’s staggering expenses can send a check written to the Camacho Fund and mail it to Edward Jones Financial, 999 Corporate Drive, Ladera Ranch 92694.

Danielle Writes a Personal Letter to the Publisher

The following is a letter from Danielle sent to Ladera Times Publisher Jim Schmitt in response to his request for an update on Danielle’s condition:

Dear Jim,

My dad said you were interested in getting an update on how things are going. I’m not sure if you had specific questions you wanted answered or a general update, so I decided to write as though I’m sending a letter to a dear friend that I haven’t seen for far too long (hint, hint).

First, I’m hoping since a little time has gone by your heart is healing and your feeling a little less sad about your sister’s passing. I know you will always miss her, I just I hope your not still sad.

As for me, it’s a constant struggle of one step forward, two steps back. I’m not sure if my dad told you or not but after what seems like an eternity of fighting, my insurance company finally decided I am "handicapped enough" to qualify for my eye activated computer.

About three hours before the rep gets here to hook up my computer, my dad tells me he has a brain tumor and he has to have brain surgery... can you believe that, I’m still in shock.

Jim, you know how close I am with my dad and the thought that something could happen to him, the thought that I might lose him is more than I can handle.

My girls adore their "pop pop" and now, on top of them having to deal with me being ill, they get hit with this. Please keep him in your prayers, his surgery is scheduled this week.

As far as how I’m doing, I’ve gone from trying to make it from day to day to just trying to stay in the moment.

My breathing is really painful. I try to deal with that as well as I can, especially at night. I get so afraid to go to sleep because that’s when my breathing stops sometimes and I start choking. Because of that, I’ve developed the worse case of insomnia.

I think subconsciously that’s my way of trying to escape the inevitable; I’m on hospice care now and I have been for a while.

Just recently, for some reason that I don’t even care to have them explain, they told us they’re no longer going to pay for the co-payments of my medication. When it rains it really pours I guess.

So, of course that just adds to the constant worry I have about money. I’m not sure how much money is left the girl’s education fund, my dad doesn’t talk about it because he says he doesn’t want me to worry about it, but, I would imagine the money is running low.

I can’t really complain about that though because it has been such a blessing to have had the help while it lasted.

To read an earlier story on her fight with ALS, click on Danielle Camacho.