Ocean County Sheriff Detective needs your help as he battles ALS

Get our free mobile app

Ocean County Sheriff's Office Detective Phil Sickinger continues his courageous fight against ALS while continuing to be the loving, caring husband and father he is to his wife Diana and their daughters 4-year old Harper and 8-year old Olivia.

The 39-year old was officially diagnosed with ALS in January of 2020 along with Lyme Disease and Mold Toxicity.

"I was feeling very weak, so I went to the doctors and he thought it was Lyme, did a test and said it's not Lyme, you should go see a rheumatologist which turned into seeing 2 rheumatologist's, an infectious disease doctor, two neurologists, endocrinologist and a neuromuscular doctor (at Robert Wood Johnson) who diagnosed me with ALS," Sickinger told Townsquare Media News in November of 2020. "I went to a Lyme literate doctor who did some more in-depth Lyme's tests and it came back positive for Lyme."

Detective Sickinger's symptoms continued to change following the diagnoses and since we spoke in the fall, limiting his physical ability to do many of the things he had always enjoyed doing from working in law enforcement and protecting the community to taking care of and raising his family and playing with his daughters.

"I can't really use my arms, can't write, it's hard to type, I have to use a walker to walk. In our house, we have a chairlift for me to get up the steps, I have a special recliner that lifts me up out of the seat," Detective Sickinger said.

Throughout the battle, the Sickinger's have received a helping hand from his family in blue in the Sheriff's Department as well the community and their family and friends who have assisted in taking care of chores and helping make them comfortable inside and outside their home.

"It's a very long road and it's not a traditional illness where you get a diagnoses, you get treatment, you get better, this is a lot of throwing things out there and seeing what works," Diana said in November 2020. "Some of his therapies are done at home, some of them he's out of the house which is getting a bit more difficult."

That support and aid has continued in the last few months for Detective Sickinger and there is a New GoFundMe page now up where you can also help and support the Sickinger family in their time of need.

Diana Sickinger has wrote an update on Phil's condition and their battle together.

"It’s been a while since we have given an update on Phil. It was a difficult few months with a lot of changes. Phil is now getting used to his custom power chair that is helping get him around easier as he regains some independence.

We were able to find a wheelchair accessible van from another ALS family which needs some work but will definitely help get him out more and travel safely to and from countless doctors appointments.

We’ve had to make some changes and modifications to the house to make things more accessible and comfortable for him. Changes and challenges are presented daily and Phil faces them all with the courage and determination.

We have entered into a time when care is more than family and friends alone can manage and have started the process of hiring help in the home which is extremely costly but also very necessary.

Thank you all for your contributions, shares and most importantly your prayers. We hope to see many of your smiling faces as the weather turns in our favor and we can safely spend time together outside."

You can learn more about their story here.