May 2026
by Brett Grooms
Before I was diagnosed with ALS, I always had dreamed of seeing all 30 ballparks. We were getting ready to embark on our first stadium chaser tour going out West when I was diagnosed in May 2024.
Since my diagnosis, I have tackled 20 of the 30 parks. I would have never dreamed of reaching this milestone when I first heard that I had ALS.
A huge thanks to Team Gleason for helping support me tackle this dream as they sent me on an MLB adventure to see Fenway, Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, Camden Yards, and National Park. My favorite park that I got to see on the trip was Camden Yards.
Many people we encountered at the ballpark were extremely helpful. We accidentally got non-ADA accessible seats to Fenway, and they were able to accommodate us and relocate us to an ADA accessible area.
Even though the first part of the trip was chilly and rainy, it didn’t stop us from having a great time! A couple of highlights that made the trip memorable was seeing an Aaron Judge walkoff home run at Yankee Stadium, seeing my favorite team (Cincinnati Reds) beat the Mets twice and enjoying lots of good food! However, the most memorable part of the trip, was getting to propose to my best friend and also my caregiver.
Even with an ALS diagnosis, the biggest thing that I have learned is don’t stop living the life you dreamed of – anything is possible! No White Flags!
