A local man with Lou Gehrig's disease can breathe easier thanks to donations from members of the community.
Chris Batrano is an 18-year survivor of the disease, also known as ALS oramyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He is almost completely paralyzed and relies on a ventilator and another machine to breathe.
"I am mostly paralyzed, which means that even something as simple as an itch on my forehead I have to either endure or if I am lucky get someone to help me. Since I am now mute, communication is a constant issue," Batrano said in an email.
However, the machines helping him breathe have a short battery backup or none at all. Batrano says any power outage forces him to move to a location with power or he could die. Donations allowed him to purchase an emergency generator, which was installed at his home.
"I will no longer have to worry about power outages, which are a major concern during storms. My ventilator only has a few hours of battery backup and my other medical equipment doesn't have any backup power so any prolonged power outage would mean I would have to be moved to somewhere with power or die," Batrano said.
Several thousand dollars needed for the $10,000 home generator was raised through a GoFund Me web page. A single donor made a sizable contribution, but wished to remain anonymous. Precision Heat and Air of Poplar Bluff gave Batrano a more than $3,000 discount on the equipment and installation.
"Obviously he needs it. It is a life and death situation if he was to lose power and his battery backup ran out for a certain length of time," said company owner David Pigg.
In 1996, Batrano was diagnosed at the age of 28 with ALS. He progressed from using a cane, to a walker to a wheelchair in three years. Despite the challenges that come with the disease, Batrano stays positive with the help of his family and friends.
"I could fill pages with the problems ALS is causing in my life, but everyone has problems and I still think I have a pretty good life with Christel (Valles) and my two sons and daughter-in-law," he said.
Batrano is also a musician and author. He has two albums available and composed the tracks on each with eye-tracking computer software and a single finger. One track that he composed almost made the "Iron Man 3" soundtrack.
"I currently have two albums available, 'Oasis' which is all instrumentals and 'Off the Wall,' which has my brother doing all the vocals. Both are available online at cdbaby.com. I am taking a break with music and am currently working on a book," he said.
Batrano says he is grateful for all the support he received from the community, in his music and funding the generator.
"To anyone that helped in any way you have my sincere gratitude. I am happy to live in such a generous community," he said.