Mind Games is the story of how one family began a new life after a diagnosis of Lou Gehrig’s Disease (A.L.S.), one of the most devastating terminal illnesses. Dr. Tom French of Barnard, Vermont outlived the standard two to five year “invariably fatal” prognosis and continued to thrive at home with his family and a crew of dedicated caregivers for almost a decade. After deciding to let the disease take him when it reached his lungs, Tom reversed his initial Do Not Resuscitate orders when his wife Jacquie gave birth to Lauren in 1998. Jacquie was diagnosed as infertile almost ten years earlier and had been divorced from Tom for three years before Tom’s own diagnosis. She was the first person Tom called after learning he had A.L.S., and the high school sweethearts reunited that very day, pledging to stick together through thick and thin. They were remarried in their new “dream home” in the country shortly before Jacquie became pregnant. Eventually becoming quadriplegic and dependent on life-support, Tom retained his keen sense of humor and an unwavering desire to continue living as a father and a husband. Communicating only with his eyes and slight motions of his mouth, his smile revealed more than any words he chose to express. He contributed a chapter to a book about living and dying with dignity (written with his eyes using an infrared system), and set up an online pharmacy offering affordable medications from Canada. With strength, courage and an abundance of style, Tom ultimately conquered the disease he referred to as “The Beast.” Mind Games will serve as a lasting tribute to Tom, his family and his caregivers. It will also be used to raise awareness about terminal illnesses and quality end-of-life care.