HOLYOKE — It was recently announced that well-known and beloved bar owner Patrick Brennan was diagnosed with ALS after being absent from his bar the last few months.
Whether you stop by the big tent outside of Brennan’s Place during Holyoke’s St. Patrick’s Day weekend or enjoy going there at any other point throughout the year, you have heard of his place and most likely seen Brennan.
Many have noticed that Brennan has been absent from the bar the last few months and the family has kept his health challenges close until a proper diagnosis was identified.
After many months of hospital visits, rehabilitation stays, tests, scans and growing symptoms, Brennan has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease or ALS.
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that destroys motor neurons controlling voluntary muscle movement. Over time, this results in muscle weakness, impaired speech and eventual paralysis.
While there is no cure for ALS, it is the hope of his family, Vallerie, Siobhan and Samantha, to provide as much comfort to Brennan in the coming months.
Friends, family and residents have provided updates and started a GoFundMe page to help support Brennan and his family.
At press time, there were more than 600 donations totaling approximately $64,000 at tinyurl.com/7vcmujvn.
Those credited with setting up the GoFundMe and providing updates to the page are Tessa Murphy-Romboletti, Chris Camus and Jimmy Sheedy.
The organizers stated that they know this news will be a shock to many but with the family’s permission, they have created this campaign to help alleviate the financial burden that comes with months of hospital visits, growing medical and living expenses and future bills.
Murphy-Romboletti said starting the fundraiser “was the least we could do,” with everything Brennan and his family have done for Holyoke.
“I see how much they give back to the community whether it’s sponsoring things for people or hosting fundraisers and just knowing how many people care about them. I felt like it was the least we could do and one of the easier ways for people to rally ad show their support whether it’s sharing the event or donating,” she said.
They said that donations of any size are appreciated and will go directly towards helping the family keep their focus on Brennan’s comfort and well-being.
If you can’t donate at this time, the group asks for your help by sharing the link with everyone you know.
Due to the help of Sheedy, Camus and all the staff at Brennan’s Place, the lights at the bar have stayed on and the doors have remained open.
In the coming weeks, residents are also encouraged to stop by the bar for a drink or a bite to eat and support these local business owners.
Despite everything he’s facing, Brennan is adamant that the festivities continue this year with the Road Race set to take place on Saturday, March 22 and the parade on Sunday, March 23.
An update was provided on Feb. 6 and Murphy-Romboletti said the entire family is overwhelmed by the city’s generosity in such a short amount of time, and they truly feel the love, especially Brennan himself.
She explained, “It’s just one of those things that can go a really long way when you’re feeling like there are so many things out of your control so I think that the GoFundMe is obviously the financial support is huge, but it also is a very nice bright spot in a time that is understandably been pretty dark.”
There will also be another fundraising opportunity for Brennan on Friday, March 21 at 5 p.m. at Brennan’s Place, 173 High St., the Friday of parade weekend.
All proceeds will go towards Brennan’s medical expenses, accessibility needs, caregiving support, transportation, equipment and overall quality of life and comfort measures to support Brennan and his family moving forward.
Besides featuring raffles, a DJ and a T-shirt sale, Brennan’s beloved Bruce Springsteen tribute band, the New Jersey-based E Street Shuffle Band will be performing. Murphy-Romboletti said there will be no ticket needed for admission.
Although the entertainment schedule has been scaled back for that weekend, according to Murphy-Romboletti, the group was excited to get the E Street Shuffle Band to perform.
“It should be a great night. It’s always a special weekend and we’ve seen such an outpouring of support from people all over Western [Massachusetts] and beyond. We want to give them an opportunity to give them that support and have some fun,” Murphy-Romboletti said.
Murphy-Romboletti shared that the event is also looking for sponsors to help both raise money and offset some of the associated costs.
Readers looking to help out can either stop by the bar or call 413-533-9893. Readers can also contact Camus at 413-309-5207 or reach out to Murphy-Romboletti through the GoFundMe page.
