Days after family members asked supporters to pray for Pete Frates, the man who inspired 2014’s viral amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) “Ice Bucket Challenge,” it was revealed that a new program will help to cover his medical bills associated with uninsured care costs.
Frates, 32, was diagnosed with ALS in 2012. His wife, Julie, with whom he shares a 2-year-old daughter, and his parents vowed to care for him at home. But in a candid May interview with WBZ-TV, Frates’ father, John, said the skyrocketing costs were surpassing $90,000 per month, and it was becoming impossible to continue caring for him.
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“After 2.5 years of this type of expense, it’s becoming absolutely unsustainable for us,” John Frates told WBZ-TV. “We can’t afford it.”
However, according to The Salem News, the Frates family will receive some financial relief after being chosen by the ALS Association for a new program that covers the uninsured cost of skilled home care for several ALS patients in Massachusetts each year.
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The decision comes after his family took to social media to announce that Frates had been admitted to the hospital for ALS-related issues on Sunday. The next day, Team FrateTrain posted a video of Frates on Facebook and Twitter featuring the former Boston College baseball standout listening to Pearl Jams’ “I’m Still Alive.”