This page was created to provide support to the Morris Family as we prepare for Round 1 of Chemotherapy and Radiation. We appreciate the love and support given to our family each and every day. We are truly grateful. In July 2020 when they started noticing big changes in Chris’s health, they truly had no idea what journey they were getting ready to begin. It started with a lack of balance and a lack of mobility. A nasty fall on July 4th led them to the Emergency Room. After a recommendation to continue care and testing outside of the ER they connected with the care team at Mercy for further testing. After several months of appointments and testing, the doctors were stumped. They contacted their health partnership - Ground Rounds - for more guidance. They have a team of experts (doctors, nurses, care coordinators, and billing specialists) who helped them navigate uncharted territory. After gathering medical records, the information was sent to an expert on the west coast and received their expert opinion in December. At this stage the term “neuromuscular disease” was introduced to them. Based on this new information they were set up with a care team at SLU, but the first appointment available was three months out. This appointment led to many more tests sent out to SLU, WashU, and the Mayo Clinic for review. They prepared for the worst and hoped for the best. All of this testing brought them to the diagnosis of ALS in May of 2021. That isn’t all the tests revealed though. The scans revealed several large masses in multiple lymph nodes and in his left lung. Chris was diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK-negative. A rare and extremely aggressive type of Non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL). To put it into perspective, the cancer he has falls into the category of about 10% of NHL cases. Doctors now know that it’s already at Stage IV. Lymphoma typically responds positively and quickly to chemo. We appreciate all of the continued love and prayers on this journey. (Last Update 6/21/2021)