Florida dad, 39, told he has 2 years to live after visiting doctor with pinched nerve

Andres Roca, 41, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – a progressive neurodegenerative disease – in October 2023.

A 41-year-old man was left in shock after a “strange” twitch in his arm led to a deadly diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), leaving him with just two years to live.

Andres and his wife Carmen, 39, initially brushed off the twitch that appeared in April 2023 as nothing more than a minor issue. Despite a chiropractor suggesting it was merely a pinched nerve, the ongoing weakness in Andres’ arm led them to seek a neurologist’s opinion.

After undergoing three electromyography tests to evaluate muscle electrical activity, he was referred to an ALS clinic in October 2023. The clinic delivered the news that Andres had ALS, a disease that progressively destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, and estimated he had two to three years left. In an attempt to fight the disease, Andres underwent stem cell therapy in September 2024, which provided temporary relief but has since lost its effectiveness.

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Now, Carmen is focused on creating lasting memories with Andres and their 11 year old daughter, Sophia.

Andres, who previously worked as a school resource officer in Tampa, Florida, expressed his heartbreak: “I was heartbroken when I heard the news, like my life was being taken from me piece by piece – I still have so much of me to give.”

“I’m angry that I won’t be here to see my little girl grow into the smart, kind, and beautiful woman I know she will be. I think that hurts the most. Instead, she has to watch me fall apart in front of her eyes,” he continued.

“I just hope that throughout all of this, my daughter still sees me as her hero, as I face this disease with determination and strength,” he concluded.

The first sign of trouble surfaced in April 2023 when Andres’ wife Carmen noticed an odd twitch in his left arm.

At first, they brushed it off as a possible pinched nerve, but as time passed, Andres began experiencing a troubling weakness in the limb, reported The Mirror.

Carmen, who works as a senior accountant, recounted the unsettling discovery: “I noticed the twitching in his left arm and asked what was going on. It was bizarre. I asked if he could feel it, if he was doing anything to make it twitch, but he said no.”

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After seeking help in June 2023, a chiropractor’s x-ray revealed nerve compression, yet treatments failed to improve Andres’ condition, prompting a referral to a neurologist.

Carmen continued: “At the time, the doctors said they were going to schedule him for a disc replacement surgery for the disc that was compressing his nerve.”

“However, before proceeding with the surgery, they conducted three EMGs, with the neurologist growing increasingly alarmed as the twitching spread to his chest.”

Andres was moved to an ALS clinic, where a strength test led to the diagnosis of ALS – with a prognosis of two to five years. The news plunged Andres and Carmen into a state of shock and denial.

Carmen reflected on the harrowing turn their lives took: “From having a pinched nerve to being diagnosed with a terminal disease eight months later – we were in shock and denial. It was devastating, you can never imagine it happening to you or a loved one.”

She recounted the overwhelming nature of the diagnosis: “In eight months, our lives completely changed. We thought it was nerve compression, and now Andres has a terminal illness with a prognosis of two to five years. It is a lot to hear in one appointment.”

While navigating this new reality, Andres has been taking medication to slow the disease’s advance, and in September 2024, an awe-inspiring crowdfunding effort amassed $26,235 to finance stem cell therapy in the Cayman Islands, hoping it could decelerate or even reverse his condition.