Community's Support Has Been 'Overwhelming'

Matt Bruce was sitting at the Westboro House of Pizza on Friday afternoon when someone added to a donation jar on the counter.

Such donations on Friday will help Bruce and his family go to Ireland, hopefully in September, fulfilling a dream of the Northborough native.

Bruce, 26, now of Worcester, was diagnosed earlier this month with ALS.

Friday, Westboro House of Pizza, Central House, JP's Restaurant and Pub, Mulligan's Taverne and Sapporo's had donation collection jars out from noon to midnight.

Resident Gayle Erickson organized the fundraiser, known as "Jars on Bars," Bruce said.

"It's overwhelming. It really is," he said.

"People are coming out of the woodwork."

Donations also may be made to Matt Bruce, c/o St. Mary's Credit Union, 100 West Main St., Northborough, MA 01532.

Bruce said he had had issues such as "rapid weight loss (and) slurred speech" for about a year before seeing a doctor two months ago.

"I was hoping it was nothing big," said Bruce, a 2005 graduate of Algonquin Regional High School, where he played hockey. 

Waking up one morning with slurred speech prompted him to get checked out. 

The test results led to the diagnosis of ALS, Bruce said.

"It's really sad. And it's something that you never wish happens to you. It's devastating," he said.

"I've always been healthy."

Bruce said he's being treated through Dr. Robert Brown at UMass.

"He's actually a world renowned doctor for ALS," Bruce said.

"I'm very fortunate."

Bruce said ALS has mainly affected his speech.

"I feel awesome. I feel great," he said.

Now, "my biggest thing" is to "spread awareness of the disease. Because it's devastating. It really is," he said.

Bruce said he continues working as an apprentice embalmer at the Mercandante Funeral Home and Chapel in Worcester. 

Bruce said his work "gave me an appreciation for life."

"After being diagnosed with this, it's brought that appreciation to a whole new level," he said.

Bruce said he met Erickson, who organized Friday's fundraiser, while working at the Rand-Harper-Pickering Westborough Funeral Home.

"I did her sister's funeral. And we just had a special connection through there," Bruce said.

"After that, she found out I was diagnosed with ALS. She wanted to help me out. She knew my dream was always to go to Ireland. This is her way of helping me out to fulfill that dream."

The trip will cost $4,000 to send Bruce, his parents, and his sister and brother there, he said.

Bruce said his interest in his "family heritage" is fueling the dream.

"My great-grandmother was born over there, in County Cork," he said.