I think back to my childhood, before ALS took so many positives away from my life; I remember my dad’s laugh, his hugs, and his wisdom. My dad, Scott Cart, was diagnosed with ALS in 2005. With me being only one year old, my family was devastated at the idea that my sister and I might grow up without a dad. My dad was given 3-5 year expectancy, however he fought on for over 16.5 years, which is rare for this disease. On January 11, 2022, my dad passed away in our home. My dad had an inspiring mindset and outlook on his situation during his fight with the disease. Most people could not do that in his circumstance, so this was reflective of his true character. By the end of his life, he was paralyzed and in the care of Ascend Hospice. His hospice nurse, Racheal Haas, who we now consider family, shared that my dad was the most resilient patient she had ever had. That shows you who Scott Cart was. Growing up, my family created Struttin’ for Scott, a donation team for the ALS Walk in Kansas City. We would collect donations for the ALS Association to help support medical research. Some of my favorite childhood memories took place at the annual ALS Walks. I was lucky enough to have my dad for as long as I did. There were many things he passed down to me like our love for 1980s rock, our blue eyes, our work ethic, our longing for travel, and our appetite for Kansas City barbecue. My mom, Sheila Cart, was a rock for my whole family through it all. She was his primary caregiver, so she gave up a lot to be there for my dad. I admire both of my parents so much and I want to make them proud. My dad passed during my senior year of high school and I decided to go off to college in the fall. I chose Kansas State University to pursue a Master’s degree in Interior Architecture. I have completed four out of five years. Once I graduate, I can design spaces for people of all abilities, which is something special about my career field. My family had to redesign certain parts of our home to accommodate my dad’s physical abilities, like ramps and stairlifts. Because my family lived through it, I became more aware that most buildings are designed for able-bodied people. In my interior architecture projects, I will always design in focus of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Financially, five years of college is very expensive. Since my mom is the sole provider now, she makes less than necessary per year to keep up. My family is having to dip into savings to pay for schooling. I have one year of schooling left, and it would ease stress on my mom and I if I was lucky enough to earn the Sandra West scholarship. Even though I do not wish what I went through on anyone, I have learned a lot about myself and others through my situation. I have had to mature more than most people my age. The most important lesson I have learned is to tell your parents you love them because there are so many unknowns in life. I will forever be grateful that I had my childhood and teenage years with my dad. It is harder now that he is gone, but I am living through him and making him proud. Scott Cart is one to remember.

ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) disease took the life of my dad, Scott Cart on January 11, 2022. My dad was diagnosed with ALS in 2005. With me being only one year old, my family was devastated at the idea that my sister and I might grow up without a dad. My dad was given 3-5 year expectancy, however he fought on for over 16.5 years, which was a miracle. When my dad passed away my senior year of high school, it was the hardest goodbye. My dad’s ALS progression was very slow for many years. By the end, he was paralyzed and could not talk. Seeing someone I love so much struggle was the worst feeling. He was my best friend; I would get so excited to tell him positive things going on in my life. Scott Cart was the epitome of perseverance and he fought hard for so long. His hospice nurse, Racheal Haas, who we now consider family, said my dad was the most resilient person she had ever met. His positive attitude represented his character. I was lucky enough to have my dad for as long as he did. There were many things he passed down to me like our love for 1980s rock, our blue eyes, our work ethic, our longing for travel, and our appetite for Kansas City barbecue. My mom, Sheila Cart, had to persevere as well. She was the primary caregiver, so she gave up a lot to be there for my dad. I admire that so much. After my dad passed during my senior year of high school, I decided to go off to college in the fall. I chose Kansas State University to pursue a Master’s degree in Interior Architecture. I am currently in my third year out of five. Something special about my major and future career is I can design spaces for people of all abilities. I want any and everyone to experience spaces positively, no matter what disability they may have. My family had to redesign certain parts of our home to accommodate my dad’s condition. We had to add ramps and a stairlift to allow him to travel up and down the stairs. Living in a house that was designed for able-bodied people made me realize how difficult it was for someone living in a wheelchair. In my interior architecture projects, I always consider the Americans with Disabilities Act. Financially, college is very expensive. Since my mom is the sole provider now, she makes less than necessary per year to keep up. My family is having to dip into savings to pay for schooling. I have five years of schooling, two left, so it would ease stress on my mom and I if I was lucky enough to earn the Eden Alaine Memorial Scholarship. I have learned so much through my situation. It has not been easy, but I have grown and matured more than most people my age. The most important lesson I have learned is to tell your parents you love them because you never know how much time you have. Life is so precious; make the most of it. I will forever be grateful that I had my childhood and teenage years with my dad. Even though I am grateful, it is hard to not get upset that he will not see me graduate college, walk me down the aisle, or hold my future baby in his arms. It is harder now that he is gone, but I am living through him and making him proud. Scott Cart is one to remember.

ALS has impacted mine and my family's lives drastically during my lifetime. My dad, Scott Cart, was diagnosed in 2005. With me being only one year old, my family was devastated at the idea that my sister and I might grow up without a dad. My dad was given 3-5 year expectancy, however he fought on for over 16.5 years, which was a miracle. On January 11, 2022, my dad passed away in our home. It was the hardest goodbye. My dad’s ALS progression was very slow for many years. By the end, he was paralyzed and could not talk. Seeing someone I love so much struggle was the worst feeling. He was my best friend; I would get so excited to tell him positive things going on in my life. Scott Cart was the epitome of perseverance and he fought hard for so long. His hospice nurse, Racheal Haas, who we now consider family, said my dad was the most resilient person she had ever met. His positive attitude represented his character. I was lucky enough to have my dad for as long as he did. There were many things he passed down to me like our love for 1980s rock, our blue eyes, our work ethic, our longing for travel, and our appetite for Kansas City barbecue. My mom, Sheila Cart, had to persevere as well. She was the primary caregiver, so she gave up a lot to be there for my dad. I admire that so much. My dad passed during my senior year of high school. I decided to go off to college in the fall. I chose Kansas State University to pursue a Master’s degree in Interior Architecture. I am currently in my third year out of five. Something special about my major and future career is I can design spaces for people of all abilities. I want any and everyone to experience spaces positively, no matter what disability they may have. My family had to redesign certain parts of our home to accommodate my dad’s condition. We had to add ramps and a stairlift to allow him to travel up and down the stairs. Living in a house that was designed for able-bodied people made me realize how difficult it was for someone living in a wheelchair. In my interior architecture projects, I always consider the Americans with Disabilities Act. Financially, college is very expensive. Since my mom is the sole provider now, she makes less than necessary per year to keep up. My family is having to dip into savings to pay for schooling. I have five years of schooling, two left, so it would ease stress on my mom and I if I was lucky enough to earn the Sandra West scholarship. I have learned so much through my situation. It has not been easy, but I have grown and matured more than most people my age. The most important lesson I have learned is to tell your parents you love them because you never know how much time you have. Life is so precious; make the most of it. I will forever be grateful that I had my childhood and teenage years with my dad. It is harder now that he is gone, but I am living through him and making him proud. Scott Cart is one to remember.