Raffle underway for Clearwater native battling ALS

A Nebraska chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation is sponsoring a raffle for Clearwater native Adam Kester, who was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in 2019.

Tickets for a Ruger American Rifle Predator 6.5 Creedmor are available at Cornerstone Bank, DK Feed and Clearwater Feed and Grain. Drawing for the prize will be held at the NWTF 100th Meridian Boss Gobblers Banquet, at the Elks Club in Cozad, on Feb. 25, at 5 p.m. Ticket holders need not be present to win.

Nearly two and one-half years after being diagnosed with ALS, Kester, along with his family, are hopeful that treatments at a Miami, Florida, clinic will provide answers and healing.

According to Kester's wife, Whitney, on a GoFundMe Page established for the family, Kester noticed a change in his left-hand function in 2019. At first, the couple attributed the loss of function in Adam's pointer finger and thumb to former neck injuries and broken bones.

Six months later, the Kesters were at the Mayo Clinic, where doctors delivered the ALS diagnosis.

Kester was 32 years old at the time.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progessive nervous system disease affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The result: loss of muscle control.

Environmental factors, viral infections, exposure to toxins and genetic mutations have all been linked as causes of ALS.

According to the Mayo Clinic, ALS is inherited in 5 to 10% of people. For the remaining 90 to 95%, the root cause is unknown.

Less than 10% of patients live for a decade once diagnosed.

At the time of Kester's diagnosis, two drugs were available to ALS patients and doctors could not guarantee if infusion treatments would be successful.

Currently, Kester receives treatment at BodyScience, where the focus is on neurodegenerative diseases and how the immune system contributes to them.

Kester has had treatments at the Florida clinic, four times, receiving exosome therapy and molecular medicine therapy.

Kester's clinical expenses are not covered through insurance.

Friends of the family have established a GoFundMe account which, as of Feb. 14, has raised more than $25,000. To learn more about Kester's story, visit https://gofund.me/6b879e46.