THEY TELL US ABOUT INSPIRING PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES,

AND WE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF EMAILS

ABOUT THIS NEXT FAMILY.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR YOU TO MEET THEM.

HERE'S THEIR STORY.

- [giggles]

- [chuckles]

I'M JESS.

AND WE HAVE TWO BEAUTIFUL LITTLE GIRLS

NAMED KENDALL AND MCKENNA,

AND WE ARE FROM PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

MATT HAS BEEN A CITY OF PITTSBURGH FIRE FIGHTER

FOR EIGHT YEARS NOW,

AND HE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH ALS FOR SEVEN.

WE HAD TO ACCEPT, YOU KNOW,

THE CARDS THAT WE WERE DEALT WITH,

AND--AND--

- AND WE'VE BEEN HAVING FUN EVER SINCE.

WE ARE SURROUNDED BY SUCH AN AWESOME GROUP OF PEOPLE,

FAMILY, FRIENDS, COMMUNITY,

TO COME AROUND AND RALLY WITH US

AND SUPPORT US.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE THIS EXPERIENCE

AS ANY OTHER WAY THAN AMAZING.

WHENEVER MATT FIRST WENT OFF THE JOB,

THE GUYS ON HIS FIRE DEPARTMENT

STARTED WORKING HIS SHIFTS FOR HIM

SO MATT COULD STILL RECEIVE A PAYCHECK

TO CARE FOR OUR FAMILY.

- GUYS WERE WORKING FIVE EXTRA SHIFTS.

I MEAN, JUST ANYWHERE POSSIBLE.

WE WERE FIGHTING TO TAKE THE EXTRA DAYS.

- WHAT HE'S BEEN THROUGH AND DONE EVERYTHING,

THIS GUY IS MY HERO.

LIKE, HE MAKES ME CHEER UP WHEN I'M SAD.

- WATCHING THEM DEAL WITH THEIR DISEASE

BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN YOU.

THEY HELP ME BE A BETTER PARENT.

- WHAT MATT'S DOING TODAY, WHAT MATT DID YESTERDAY,

WHAT MATT'S GONNA DO TOMORROW,

THAT'S THE FAVORITE MEMORY RIGHT THERE.

IT'S HEROIC,

AND IT IS AN INSPIRATION.

- YEAH, WE'RE PRETTY--

YEAH, WE'VE BEEN PRETTY LUCKY THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS.

WE'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY.

[cries and sniffles]

VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH FIRE DEPARTMENT

AND ALL THAT THEY'VE DONE AND THEY CONTINUE TO DO FOR US.

HONESTLY WE'VE BEEN LIVING LIFE A LOT MORE DIFFERENTLY.

- HELLO.

[laughs]

HELLO.

[laughs]

- PLEASE WELCOME MATT AND JESS ONYSHKO.

[cheers and applause]

[cheers and applause]

Y'ALL ARE FANTASTIC.

ALL RIGHT.

YOU'RE GONNA NEED A LOT OF THESE.

THE WHOLE AUDIENCE NEEDS THEM RIGHT NOW.

- OH, MY GOODNESS. - OKAY.

- I TRIED TO COME PREPARED. - BOY, OH, BOY.

THERE IS SO MUCH GOING ON IN YOUR LIVES,

AND THE POSITIVITY IN YOU SAYING,

"WE'VE BEEN HAVING FUN EVER SINCE,"

THAT JUST GOT TO ME.

IT JUST--IT'S LIKE, THAT IS YOUR CHOICE,

'CAUSE WE--THAT'S THE ONLY THING WE HAVE A CHOICE

IS OUR REACTION TO SOMETHING.

AND YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.

YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.

- THANK YOU.

[cheers and applause]

- DID THE CHOICE-- DID YOU--

HOW DO YOU STAY SO POSITIVE?

OR WERE YOU BOTH ALWAYS THIS POSITIVE

EVEN BEFORE THE DIAGNOSIS?

- I THINK WE'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO BE POSITIVE.

BUT, I MEAN, THROUGH THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE,

YOU GET TO SEE THE LOVE AND GENEROSITY

OF OTHER PEOPLE ON A REGULAR BASIS.

I MEAN, PEOPLE HAVE REALLY COME OUT OF THE WOODWORK

TO HELP US, AND-- SORRY.

AND WE GET TO EXPERIENCE THAT EVERY DAY,

ON A REGULAR BASIS,

AND THAT'S REALLY AMAZING.

- YEAH, AND YOU MET ABOUT A YEAR BEFORE

YOU GOT MARRIED, RIGHT?

- ABOUT A YEAR--

ABOUT ALMOST TWO YEARS BEFORE--YEAH.

- AND WHERE DID YOU MEET? - EMT CLASS.

[laughs]

AND IT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF A FUNNY STORY.

SO WE MET IN EMT CLASS.

AND THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS, I GO OUT THERE,

AND, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T SEE ANYBODY,

YOU KNOW, THAT CAUGHT MY EYE,

SO THE SECOND EMT--

'CAUSE MATT WASN'T THERE. MATT WASN'T THERE.

YEAH, LET ME-- LET ME ELABORATE THERE.

[laughs]

AND SO THE SECOND DAY OF EMT CLASS,

I'M DRIVING UP,

AND I SEE HIM SITTING ON THE CORNER.

I'M LIKE, "HE IS REALLY GOOD-LOOKING,"

AND I WAS A MESS.

I DIDN'T HAVE ANY MAKEUP ON. MY HAIR WASN'T DONE.

I WAS LIKE, "OH, MY GOODNESS.

WHAT'S THIS GOOD-LOOKING MAN DOING HERE?"

SO WHEN I WALKED UP TO HIM,

I DIDN'T SAY HELLO.

I DIDN'T SAY, "HI, I'M JESSICA."

I SAID, "YOU WEREN'T HERE LAST CLASS."

[laughter]

AND HE WAS LIKE, "NO," AND I WAS LIKE--

I WAS JUST TAKEN ABOUT HOW GOOD-LOOKING HE WAS.

AND THEN HE CHASED ME AROUND FOR A COUPLE MONTHS AFTER.

NO, HE DIDN'T, BUT...

- SO DID YOU GET TOGETHER RIGHT AWAY?

DID YOU KNOW RIGHT AWAY, MATT,

THAT YOU WERE GONNA MARRY HER?

- I KNEW THAT FROM CONVERSATION.

- THE FIRST--YEAH. - YEAH, YEAH.

I WAS GONNA MARRY HER.

- FIRST CONVERSATION. - THE FIRST CONVERSATION.

I MEAN, THE THING ABOUT THIS DISEASE ALSO--

I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT ALS--

IS, YOUR MIND STAYS EXACTLY THE SAME.

YOU'RE AWARE.

YOU'RE COMPLETELY A BRILLIANT HUMAN BEING STILL,

AND YOUR BODY JUST CHANGES,

AND THAT IS A TOUGH THING FOR--

ESPECIALLY FOR ANYONE, MUCH LESS A FIRE FIGHTER.

AND YOU HAVE ALL THESE FIRE FIGHTERS

WHO HAVE TAKEN ON YOUR SHIFTS.

THEY'RE WORKING EXTRA SHIFTS SO YOU GET PAID.

- MM-HMM. - I LOVE FIRE FIGHTERS.

- IT'S AMAZING.

- [speaking indistinctly]

- AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR OVER THREE YEARS NOW.

- YEAH, THEY WON'T STOP

SO THAT HE CONTINUES TO GET PAID.

THEY HAVE--

[cheers and applause]

I SAY IT ALL THE TIME ANYWAY.

I LOVE FIRE FIGHTERS.

I LOVE FIRE FIGHTERS,

AND THEY'RE AN AMAZING SUPPORT SYSTEM.

WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW IS, SOME OF YOUR FRIENDS ARE HERE.

COME ON OUT.

WE HAVE BILL AND JERROD--

[cheers and applause]

[sentimental music]

[cheers and applause]

WE COULDN'T FIT AS MANY PEOPLE

AS WE WANTED TO SURPRISE YOU WITH.

THIS IS A SURPRISE,

BUT WE HAVE A BIGGER SURPRISE.

SO LET'S CHECK IN WITH JEANNIE,

WHO IS AT YOUR FIREHOUSE IN PITTSBURGH,

AND LOOK AT WHO--

[cheers and applause]

HI, JEANNIE.

SOME ONE PITTSBURGH'S FINEST. - HI, ELLEN!

- JEANNIE, TELL US WHO YOU'RE THERE WITH.

- OH, MY GOSH, ELLEN.

I'M HERE WITH A BUNCH OF PITTSBURGH FIRE FIGHTERS,

THEIR FAMILIES, INCLUDING CAPTAIN RON BARTOLOWITS,

WHO HAS BEEN A PITTSBURGH FIRE FIGHTER FOR 28 YEARS.

- WOW, AMAZING.

[cheers and applause]

AND YOU'RE FROM ALL OVER THE CITY.

SO IF YOU HAVE TO GO, IF THERE'S A BELL OR SOMETHING,

DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO--

YOU DON'T NEED TO STAY AND TALK TO US.

YOU CAN RUN OFF IF YOU NEED TO, OKAY?

- NO, YOU AIN'T GETTING RID OF US THAT EASY.

- ALL RIGHT, WELL--

ALL RIGHT, I SEE.

IT'S PROBABLY JUST TOAST BURNING.

[laughter]

SO IT'S NOT JUST ENGINE COMPANY 32

THAT'S HELPED MATT'S FAMILY.

IT'S BEEN THE ENTIRE PITTSBURGH AREA,

SO WE WANTED TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO YOU.

I HAVE SIGNED AND FRAMED A PAIR OF ELLEN BOXERS

FOR THE FIREHOUSE AND SENT A PAIR--

[cheers and applause]

- WHOO!

[laughing]

- ALL RIGHT, AND WE--

WE REALLY COULDN'T DO THESE THINGS

WITHOUT SHUTTERFLY.

THEY HELP US IN SO MANY WAYS,

AND WE WANT TO HELP YOU,

AND WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A CHECK FOR $50,000.

[cheers and applause]

- ARE YOU GUYS SERIOUS?

[crying] OH, MY GOD.

I GOT TO HUG YOU!

- ALL RIGHT, WE'LL BE BACK!

[cheers and applause]