Earlier this season, we met an incredible couple dealing
with an unimaginable situation.
Take a look.
Eric is a firefighter for the city of Los Angeles.
This past summer he married his college sweetheart Amanda.
And just one month after the wedding
they received the news that at age 29, Eric had ALS.
I started googling.
I just kept checking all these boxes.
I'm like, man, this is crazy.
ALS keeps popping up.
It still doesn't feel real when you're there
and they're telling you like this is what you have.
And he's 29, healthy.
We just got married.
It doesn't seem fair or real or anything like this.
It's just-- I don't even have words.
I'm just-- I'm so sorry.
And so I called your fire station.
So they're here.
Come on out.
[CHEERING]
It's proving just once again that you are remaining,
the strongest guy in the room.
I love you.
From Costa Mesa, California, please welcome back
Eric and Amanda Stevens.
It's good to see you again.
It's great to see you.
Thank you for being back.
How are you feeling, Eric?
I'm feeling good.
I'm definitely progressing.
But I feel very fortunate that I could still walk and still have
my voice and extremely grateful to be sitting here
and share what we have been up to.
Yeah, well, since you've been here, I think--
I mean, that was our whole point is to help spread the word,
get the word out there.
What's happened since you've been on the show?
So since we've been on this show,
we've been advocating like crazy.
We just want to bring more awareness to this disease
and really tell people what ALS patients are going through.
And we traveled to Washington D.C.
and met with congressmen and senators.
And we explained to them what Eric's going through
and what all these 30,000 Americans are going through
and how we can create some type of legislation
to really allow patients access to treatments to help
them fight for their lives.
And from what I heard, they seemed almost shocked.
They weren't really aware of this, right?
Yeah, not many people are aware that there
is for the first time ever promising treatment for ALS.
But it's stuck in the FDA trials, and those really long
trials and long process.
And it could take up to 10 to 12 years for a treatment
to be approved.
And we don't have the time.
When you're diagnosed with ALS, you get a two-to-five year
diagnosis.
And pyrolysis comes a lot sooner than that.
Right, right.
So what can we do?
I mean, that must be so frustrating to have
been diagnosed with this disease knowing that there's
cured, possible cure, or at least something that can help
you prevent-- slow it down.
And yet, it's just stuck someplace.
What can we do?
I think having us back on this show,
I mean, the first time we were on here,
we just had tremendous response.
And that in fact was real.
We had some amazing following.
And being able to spread awareness
and keep spreading our word and our story.
I mean, this platform is just amazing.
So--
Yeah, because this has changed your lives, obviously,
in many, many ways.
But you're going to Washington.
You're advocating for this.
You have something that you thought you would never
do to go speak to congressmen and senators
and fight for something, which obviously you're going to do.
But how is the family taking this?
They've been extremely supportive.
His brothers were actually just in Washington D.C. again
to just continue to talk with these congressmen and senators
and try to really create a different pathway for ALS
treatments because like Eric explained,
he doesn't have years.
They don't have years to wait.
They need something now to help them.
And it's there.
So we're trying to do everything we can by telling them that.
And they're really willing to help.
Yeah.
Yeah, my brothers have just been incredible.
And really our whole family has just been so supportive.
And they feel the frustration that we feel.
They're doing everything they can to use their voice
and just somehow try to fix this broken system.
Well, we will do everything we can do.
And I told you that the last time you were on.
I just want to keep having you on
and keep doing everything we can.
We're going to take a break and we'll be back.
More with Amanda and Eric after this.
We're back with my friends, Eric and Amanda Stevens.
And you just gave a TED Talk, which I mean,
for somebody, some people, they speak publicly for a living.
And that's what they do.
But for someone who's never done that before,
I would think a TED Talk would be something
that you'd be like--
public speaking is one of the scariest things for anyone.
How did you feel?
Yeah, it was extremely terrifying.
I keep telling Eric he's the only person I would ever
do that for because it was definitely the hardest
thing I've done in my life.
But I think it's also an amazing opportunity
to just share our story.
And so we're just fighting like crazy for that.
And we're going to keep fighting like crazy.
And we're going to keep raising awareness and doing everything
we can to because it's crazy that there are treatments
sitting there that need to be--
speed them up.
And you must be--
I mean, you started feeling these things right
before you got married, but didn't
want to say anything because you didn't want to make anybody
worry about anything.
And then you're newly married.
And you must be so grateful for Amanda.
Yeah, words can't express how thankful I am.
And she's an absolute rock star.
She's just taken the bull by the horns
and is really just a rock.
And I don't know what I'd do without her.
Well, you got her.
And you got all of us.
You got me because I am now going
to be your advocate for this.
[APPLAUSE]
You hear people say you got to live your life
every single day like it's your last day.
And we all just take things for granted.
But with this diagnosis, it's been six months?
Yeah.
Something like that.
I mean, what is--
how has your perspective on life changed?
Yeah, I mean, like you said, you try to live every day you can
the best you can.
Until you're struck with something like this,
you really realize what that means.
And you just take it one day at a time.
And today's my best day.
I get to sit here with my wife, and I get to sit here with you.
And we get to have a conversation.
And you hold on to that.
And I just feel super fortunate to still have that
because not everyone does.
Yep, one of the things you were going to do before all of this.
And you've had to give up your jobs
because you're taking care of each other.
But you wanted to buy a home.
And my friends at Shutterfly said, what can we do
to help because we love them?
And I said, well, I love them, too.
And they said, what can we do to help?
And I said maybe if you give them
$100,000 for a payment for a home.
And they said, OK.
[APPLAUSE]
Oh my gosh.
Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
Go to our website to find out how you can help Amanda
and Eric fight against ALS.
We'll be right back.