A Short Walk Home

David Cry’s life was a happy one. But when news came of Logan’s diagnosis, everything changed.

At just 12 years old, David and his wife Jaymee’s son Logan received his diagnosis of adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), a prognosis that carried a 100% mortality rate.

Now, every day was even more precious. As Logan’s illness progressed, stealing away more of their son each day, David and his family were put to a test of will and faith. They tried to stay strong for Logan—and for each other.

Praise for
A Short Walk Home

“
A Short Walk Home
is more than David’s story of survival but rather an inspiring story of his triumph over the darkest moments with only faith, hope, and love as a companion. David has tirelessly dedicated his life to ending the tragic effects of ALD as well as offering hope to those suffering.”

—
Chef John Besh
, owner, The Besh Restaurant Group

“
A Short Walk Home
is a testament to love, devotion, and the grit and resolve it takes to endure the unthinkable and emerge stronger and more committed than ever to each other, to a son’s legacy, and to a cause that must be addressed
now.”

—
Karen Swensen
, anchor, WWL-TV New Orleans

“
A Short Walk Home
reaffirms the controlling truth of life: Love is the most powerful and enduring force we encounter. The story David Cry shares with us about losing a son reminds us all that love is the one essential needed to survive the most harrowing and hideous pain.”

—
Jim Axelrod,
CBS News

“
A Short Walk Home
is that rare (true) story that is both completely devastating and supremely hopeful. The story of David and Jaymee and their boys is one that must be read, and then shared. We owe it to ourselves, and to our loved ones.”

—
J.K. Simmons
, Academy Award-winning actor

“I’ve heard it said, ‘Pain is the precursor to change!’ David and Jaymee have suffered excruciating pain on every level possible and because of that pain, they are now changing the world!”

—
Heath Evans
, analyst, NFL Network and Super Bowl XLIV Champion

“The song is ended but the melody lingers on.”

—Irving Berlin

O
NE DAY
I got a call from David “Rat Bastard” Burke, owner of the security company that provides service whenever I am in New Orleans, telling me that he had met someone who would enjoy speaking with me. A man who really enjoyed my work. A born and bred New Orleans guy. A real character. New Orleans has its own unique flavor, and David Cry personifies this in a better way than most.

At the time, I was in Los Angeles where I live, “working” on the set of a small, independent film called “Murder of a Cat”. No, that’s not a misprint. It’s a fun movie. You should check it out.

Burke and his wife, Dynette, learned that Dynette’s brother’s son had a condition called ALD. The day after learning this, they began speaking with a guy named David Cry. David is the chief executive of The ALD Foundation. When this young boy traveled to Minneapolis to be evaluated for a lifesaving transplant, upon the family’s request, Cry went with them. Sadly, they learned that there was no hope in stopping his ALD. Some things in life just aren’t fair.

As we broke for lunch that day, I was told I would be needed again in an hour and a half. I told Burke to give Cry my number. I am a Dad. If this guy is helping families with the unthinkable, and asking nothing in return, I think I can take a little time to chat on the phone with him for a while. Let him hear my voice. Maybe do a little J. Jonah Jameson for him. Whatever.

Well, I didn’t talk a whole lot. Cry has a way with words. He is a storyteller and a funny guy. I got his overall story, complete with names, specific dates, times, and places. Cry has an amazing memory. He told me about his Dad who was dying of cancer, and the onset of his own form of ALD. He told me about his son Logan, and how he and his wife, Jaymee, had just lost him to ALD a little more than two months before. He then told me about Burke’s nephew, and the terrible struggle he and his family were enduring. He told me about the great joys of his life—his wife and their little boy, Brennan. I listened, and I empathized, and I laughed a lot, and I cried some.

I’m not gonna try to tell David Cry’s story. Cry is the writer. He has created a beautiful book. Buy this book. You’ll be helping make the world a slightly better place, and you’ll be enlightened and greatly entertained. You’ll be grateful.

… I never did get lunch that day, but a little over a year later, at Restaurant August in New Orleans, I had one of the best dinners I’ve ever had with Cry and his wonderful wife, Jaymee. You should be so lucky.

—J K Simmons

W
ITHOUT ALWAYS KNOWING
it, David Cry is an inspiration. He has helped families affected by Adrenoleukodystrophy, or ALD, for years. That includes me and my wife, Denise. The funny thing about Cry is, he does not want anything in return for what he does. If he helps you, and knows he has, he is content. I think that’s the sign of someone really special.

Denise and I, along with our daughters Erin and Meghan, have lost two sons, Little John and Michael, to ALD. It has been devastating. There are just some things you don’t ever get over. David, his wife Jaymee, and son Brennan lost Logan to ALD in April 2013. Understanding their pain, I did my best to help David, although sometimes there are just no words.

David’s book will be a help to so many. I feel that David gets it. I hope that anyone who is a parent will read this book. Allow it to serve as a reminder that at any time, anything may happen. That none of us is so special that bad things won’t fall upon us. Remember that your family is important. That your wife is your best friend and deserves your undying respect every day. That our kids are a treasure. That they deserve the very best that each of us have to offer.

I appreciate David asking me to be a part of his work. He is a good person. I know that whether it’s ALD or something else, by nature, he will not stop helping others as long as he is here. We will all benefit because of this. It is as it should be.

—John Hirschbeck

M
Y NAME IS
David Cry. I live in Slidell, Louisiana, with my wife, Jaymee, and son Brennan.