Fight with Former Notre Dame Hockey Player Chris Tschupp to Halt ALS

Chris Tschupp was born in New York State, and was raised in Toms River, New Jersey. His grandmother taught him how to ice skate at four years old, and by the time he was five, he knew he needed to play hockey. When he made his first travel team as a Mite, there was no looking back. From that point forward Chris started to chase his hockey dreams alongside his best friend, Bob Cielo.

Chris played hard for the next 20 years. From Bricktown, NJ, where he played with the Philadelphia Little Flyers, to Toms River High School East, to Trinity-Pawling Prep School, and onward to the University of Notre Dame and minor league pro hockey. In June 1990, the two decades of hard work paid off: he was selected as the 125th Overall Pick in the NHL Draft by the Calgary Flames - The Stanley Cup Champions! “It was the biggest honor of my life. After working so hard through youth, high school and college hockey my dreams had come true, thanks to a lot of blood, sweat, tears and grit along the way.”

I’ve known Chris since I was about nineteen years old. He was a scrappy fighter on the ice, and I expect nothing less out of his current fight against ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). At Notre Dame, we’re always talking about “what would you fight for?” Here is what Chris is fighting for...

A few years back, I made a new friend on a Notre Dame football weekend, and Chris Tschupp’s name came up in conversation. This conversation sent me on an internet chase to find out what Chris was up to these days, which lead to us reconnecting. I have greatly enjoyed following Chris’s life journey over the past few years, and then on Sunday I saw a post about his fight with ALS. I reached out to him to see what I could do to help him, and in true Chris fashion, he’s not concerned with himself or his fight, but his goal is to increase awareness of the disease and to raise money to find a cure. “My objective is to help people.” And as I told him, Notre Dame family is family forever.

Here is a bit more of Chris’s story ...

“A few years ago I noticed that my fingers had started curling, my hands were getting weaker and I could no longer hold a hockey stick. I saw a chiropractor, a spine surgeon, had X-rays taken of my neck and spine, got a cervical MRI, a brain MRI with contrast, an EMG and a nerve conduction study.”

“Everything was pointing towards “stenosis” in my neck. The stenosis, apparently, was putting pressure on a nerve that controls my hands. ‘Okay, no problem,’ I told myself. ‘I’ll get a laminectomy surgical procedure and my hands will be cured.’ I saw a hand specialist who agreed that the nerves in my neck were not firing down to my hands.”

“But then my speech started to slow - a huge red flag. I immediately went to see a neurologist (a motor neuron specialist) and after testing, he came back with a shocking diagnosis: I had ALS, and I had between 2 and 5 years left to live. I was devastated.”

“Over the course of the following weeks, I saw three more neurologists. They conducted another EMG/NCS test, a lumbar puncture/spinal tap, blood tests that revealed elevated antibodies, and a heart calcium test with a cardiologist. The elevated antibodies were treated with neuropathy - a specialized IV drip - but it was infused at too high a rate. I ended up in the Emergency Room with Aseptic Meningitis for three days. The specialists I saw gave me no hope, no effective solutions and no suggestions for alternative treatments.”

“So here I am today, facing the biggest challenge of my life: ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. ALS attacks cells in the brain and spinal cord that are needed to keep muscles moving, leading to muscle weakness and paralysis).”

“After recently attending a HEAL ALS conference in Salt Lake City, UT, I realized that I do have some common symptoms of ALS. I needed to accept the reality of my situation and turn my attention towards fighting harder than I ever have to sustain my life.”

“Breaking the news to my girl, Sofia Grace, my parents, sister, relatives and friends was heartbreaking. My tears flowed like never before. I didn’t know what to do, who to see, what treatments to seek - I was in shock. Doctors told me that there was nothing I could do - except enjoy my life until it ends.”

“But these doctors do not know Chris Tschupp. I DON’T GIVE UP. EVER.”

“As a screenwriter today, I have written 4 TV shows, 2 full-length feature films and have 4 more in the pipeline. Yet today, I can’t really type anymore, much less hold a pen or pencil. While writing is difficult, I’ll never quit telling great stories that inspire people and have an impact on the world.”

The Reality of the Fight Ahead

“I need your help to Halt ALS. Through many hours of research and interaction with neurologists, biological dentists, holistic doctors, naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and neurosurgeons, I have learned that the treatments I need, the supplements I require and the foods I need to eat are incredibly expensive. And they are not covered by insurance. Here are some of the best options to improve and extend my life:”

To Eliminate Toxins:

* Cleaning products (avoid chlorine) use natural soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, detergents.

* Avoid mercury

* Avoid molds and improve air quality with air filters

* High quality water filters

* Avoid food toxins: (Gluten, MSG, aspartate, benzoates, sulfites)

To Aid the Detoxification Process:

* IV Chelation calcium

* IV Mulit-Vitamin-mineral supplementation

* Glutathione IV, nebulized and intranasal

* Far infrared sauna

* Colon therapy.

“As you can see, there are a lot of steps I need to take to stay healthy and live a longer life. I have been researching new doctors, their methodology, treatments and knowledge on nutrition and I’m creating a NEW TEAM. This team of doctors care about their patients, think outside the box and will find the source of my health issues instead of resorting to prescription drugs that cause more problems than one can count.”

“I would like to thank God, Jesus Christ and Mary for looking upon me and granting me a wonderful life thus far.”

Chris is very grateful for platforms such as GoFundMe, which have allowed him to reach and help so many people throughout the world. However, he would like his personal platform to be interpreted as: **IF** you can donate, then thank you so very much. Any amount helps but you’re under no obligation to give.

If you feel inspired, you can continue to follow Chris’s journey here, and read more about his fundraising campaign.

“Everyone loves a great comeback…. And Chris Tschupp is coming back!”

Cheers & GO IRISH!