The Fight of Justin Garcia: Strength, Family, and Living with ALS

Ten years ago, the Ice Bucket Challenge swept across social media. Millions dumped cold water over their heads to raise awareness for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The viral moment has faded, but for families like Justin Garcia’s, ALS is not a memory. It’s a daily reality.

Justin is a 35-year-old husband and father here in Boise, Idaho. A former football player for the Idaho Horsemen and a personal trainer, Justin lived for sports, fitness, and time outdoors with his wife Ashley and their five kids. Whether he was coaching, camping, fishing, or cooking up something new over a firepit, Justin poured himself into life. He was the guy you could count on for energy, humor, and living in the moment

That life changed on January 21, 2025. After months of being told by doctors that his twitching and weakness were “nothing,” Ashley pushed for a muscle test at St. Luke’s Meridian. The doctor watched Justin carefully, completed the test, and then sat them down. He rolled his chair back, looked them both in the eyes, and said the words no one ever expects to hear: “I’m sorry to tell you, but you have ALS.”

Justin looked at Ashley and asked if it meant he was dying. The doctor bowed his head and said quietly, “Yes. I’m so sorry.”

Everything after that moment blurred into silence.

What ALS Means

ALS, short for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is a progressive, terminal disease that attacks the nerve cells controlling voluntary muscles. Over time, it takes away the ability to walk, talk, eat, and eventually breathe — all while the mind stays sharp. It is, in Justin’s own words, “like prison in your own body.”

There is no cure. There is no known cause. And for Justin, the progression has been devastatingly fast. Within a year of his diagnosis, he went from being a powerful athlete at peak fitness to needing help with everyday tasks.

Losing and Adapting

The hardest part, Justin admits, is the loss of identity. “I don’t know who I am without [football],” he said in our interview. “I miss being good at something.”

Ashley sees it every day too. Cooking, which used to be Justin’s pride and joy, is now out of reach. The man who once flipped cast-iron skillets and whipped up meals for a crowd now can’t prepare dinner for his family. Helping around the house, carrying the load of a husband and father — those simple things are gone.

And yet, the Garcia family adapts. “Adapting is ever changing,” Ashley wrote. “It won’t stop till the end. Seems we are adapting to something new every day.”

Through it all, humor and spirit remain. Justin still cracks jokes, still teases about his secret camping spots, still dreams about playoff wins for his beloved Packers. That spark is part of what carries him and his family forward.

Love, Marriage, and Resilience

In the midst of challenge, the Garcias celebrated love. Justin and Ashley recently married, blending their five children into one busy, beautiful family. The ceremony, Ashley says, pulled them even closer together in the face of so much uncertainty.

“You don’t know how to be strong until being strong is the only choice you have,” Ashley reflected.

Justin puts it another way: “Growing old is a blessing. A lot of people complain about getting old. You’re lucky to get old. Every day is a blessing. Never waste a moment.”

Facing the Future

The future is frightening. What scares Justin most is simple and raw: “Leaving my family.”

What gives him hope? Technology. The slim chance that research will slow this disease down.

But there are no guarantees. ALS takes without asking, and it takes quickly.

How We Can Help

Living with ALS is expensive. Medical equipment, home adjustments, and daily care pile up, and the disease has taken away Justin’s ability to work. On top of that, the Garcias are desperate to make memories while they still can — family trips, new adventures, moments that will last for his children long after he’s gone.

The Garcias are asking for what’s hardest to ask for: help. Prayers. Encouragement. Financial support.

And if you’re reading this, you can be part of their fight.

👉 Support Justin’s GoFundMe here

Every dollar, every share, every prayer matters. Let’s show Justin, Ashley, and their kids that Boise takes care of its own.

Closing Words

In our interview, I asked Justin what he’d want to say to his children ten years from now, knowing this video would live on. After a long pause, tears in his eyes, he whispered:

“I’m sorry. And I love you.”

This is the reality of ALS. This is the fight of Justin Garcia. And this is our chance, as a community, to stand with him and his family — to remind them they’re not alone.