Rui is no longer with us. He lost his battle with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, on May 7, 2012 at the age of 41. Rui participated in the last two ALS walks and I promised him that I would continue to participate even if by myself, but I know that we will never be alone because he will awalys be with us. Rui not only left behind his loving family, but his many friends from all over. Let us continue his dream of raising money for research in the hopes of finding a cure for ALS once and for all. Rui touched many hearts throughout his life especially during his illness. Many people still don't know much about ALS. I too didn't know about it until he was diagnosed with it. I will end by saying, "Thank you for being my friend," just like Rui used to say many times during his long illness. 

Thanks you,

Mrs. Albertina Freitas