Broadway actor Aaron Lazar was diagnosed with slow-progressing ALS in January 2022. As he continues his battle with the disease, his family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the mounting cost of his medical care.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the GoFundMe campaign launched by Aaron’s father, Paul Lazar and brother, Chad Lazar, had raised more than $315,000 as of Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
According to the Mayo Clinic, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The disease leads to muscle weakness and other symptoms that worsen over time.
The GoFundMe campaign states that Lazar now requires round-the-clock care after losing the use of his legs, arms and hands. He also relies on a BiPAP machine to help him breathe, with the cost of full-time caregiving, medical equipment and specialized therapies exceeding $300,000 annually.
The fundraiser states that donations will go toward his medical care so he can focus on spending time with his two sons and continuing what he calls “The Impossible Dream,” a reference to the song from Man of La Mancha.
Aaron described his outlook simply: “In the nightmare of ALS, I’ve learned to dream again.”
The actor also opened up about how ALS has affected him mentally: “The disease itself is like a tractor beam to death. It just feels like a negative, collective consciousness around it is bleak and hopeless.”
“So I had to rise above that. And it started with understanding how I have to think about it and then how I feel about it and then what I believe about it. Basically, courage became hope and hope became faith and faith became belief and belief became practice and practice became experience and experience became knowing. That’s how I got there,” he told People.
Aaron further added that the disease has taught him to slow down, saying, “I don’t want to miss those moments. I’m an actor. I’m supposed to be really good at being in the moment, but ALS taught me how to really do that.”
Beyond the devastating reality of the disease, Aaron has embraced the positives.
“And while the physical progression of ALS is terrible, I’m healthier and happier than I’ve ever been,” he said. “I’ve embraced self-love in a way I never have before. I can honestly say I’m a better partner, father, actor, friend and overall person than I’ve ever been.”
Born on June 21, 1976, Aaron is an actor, singer and entrepreneur known for his work on Broadway, television and film. He grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University. He later attended the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he earned an MFA in musical theater.
Aaron began performing from the age of 9 and has since appeared in numerous productions as well as television and film projects, including Filthy Rich and The Wolf of Wall Street. He married model LeAnn Garris in 2004. The couple welcomed two sons before divorcing in 2018.
Aaron publicly disclosed his ALS in January 2024, two years after he was first diagnosed.
