A Massachusetts writer who battled ALS has left her loved ones a final story: a tongue-in-cheek, self-penned obituary that has won legions of fans online.
“Well, if you are reading this obituary, it looks like I’m dead,” Linda Brossi Murphy wrote. “WOW, it actually happened… I died of FOMO due to complications of Bulbar ALS.” Murphy, a Framingham native, died on September 21 at the age of 60, which she noted was “way too young!” She died after a three-year struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a rare condition that destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
In her obituary, Murphy lamented that her “stupid Bulbar ALS” left her unable to talk, eat, or even order at the Dunkin’ drive-through. She wrote that living became “an overwhelming burden every day,” but she did her best to hide her suffering. She also joked about her respirator, which she called “Hosee,” moving into bed with her and her husband, David.
Murphy urged readers to “say ‘yes’ to the party, the trip, the adventure” and to be kind to everyone. She requested that, instead of flowers, people buy scratch tickets and give them to strangers, or donate to Compassionate Care ALS. She also donated her brain and spinal cord for research.
Her daughter, Justine Hastings, said Murphy was “the life of the party” and had planned her own funeral, including a dance party. Commenters from around the world were moved by her words, with one writing: “I literally snorted laughing while almost crying.”
