“At this point, all I can control is my attitude. This insidious disease will take my ability to walk, to eat, to talk, and eventually to even breathe. But it will never take my Faith, my Fight, my Hope, or my Love. ALS will not define me, only I am in control of that.”
Those were the words that Mitch Canton gave his family after learning of his ALS diagnosis.
Now, the Canton family is in the fight of their life, as loving husband, proud father, and active community member Mitch Canton battles the cruel, ruthless, and 100% fatal disease ALS.
Mitch was diagnosed with ALS in the spring of 2021, and life for the Canton family was forever changed. The disease progressively stole Mitch’s ability to work, coach, play, and simply live the active, engaged life he had created – and the terminal nature of the diagnosis has shaken the family to their core.
Blessed to have ‘married up’ to his high school sweetheart Melanie, and the willing co-creator of three incredible kids (Aaron, Joshua, and Elizabeth), Mitch and the entire family now gear up for this overwhelming battle.
ALS – Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) is a progressive neurological disorder that damages nerve cells, affecting motor neurons (the nerve cells that control voluntary movements) causing them to shrink and die. With the loss of these nerve cells, the brain is no longer able to move muscles or control muscle movement.
As Mitch said, “It’s kind of like winning the reverse lotto, about 1 in 50,000 people are diagnosed with ALS each year. Over 90% of those cases are totally random, with no known cause. My number just came up.”
As a former local business owner, youth sports coach, church committee member, and tireless community advocate and volunteer over the past two decades, if anyone can tackle this disease, #mitchcan.