Utah County Sheriff's deputy in unexpected fight of his life with ALS

SPANISH FORK — A Utah County Sheriff’s deputy has found himself in the fight of his life with something no amount of training could have helped him to prepare.

32-year-old Deputy Hayden Liddiard was recently diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“It’s a life expectancy of two-and-a-half to five years,” Liddiard acknowledged in an interview Tuesday with KSL TV. “It was shocking, to say the least.”

Liddiard said he first noticed symptoms a couple years back that included tremors in his hands and difficulty doing basic processes like helping his daughter open a wrapper for a fruit snack.

He then started to observe difficulty continually reloading magazines during weapons training.

“That’s kind of what led us to the doctor,” Liddiard said. “The doctor was like, ‘yeah, something’s not adding up.’”

Liddiard said he saw an additional nerve specialist and neurologist and underwent numerous tests which ultimately led to the diagnosis.

“From the research I’ve done, it’s normally 50s, 60s, 70s—that’s when you see that onset,” Liddiard said. “Being 32, it’s something really shocking.”

The news also caught Liddiard’s friends and coworkers at the sheriff’s office by surprise.

“This is not the kind of threat that you can see coming,” Liddiard’s supervisor, Sgt. Austin Edwards, said.

Edwards said Liddiard has been an asset to the department and it would continue to support him while putting him to work, as long as he feels able to work.

“We love Hayden,” Edwards said. “We just want to be there for him and his family as much as they are willing to let us and need us.”

A Help A Hero fundraising account* has been set up to support Liddiard and his wife and daughters.

Liddiard said the ordeal has reframed the way he chooses to spend his time.

“You’re given the news that, hey, you have X amount of time and you realize what your priorities are,” Liddiard said. “Every opportunity I get to be with my girls—whether it’s being able to take them to school instead of having them take the bus, taking them out for ice cream, whatever it may be—we’re taking advantage of it at this point.”

Like many days on the job in law enforcement, Liddiard doesn’t know where the road will take him.

“Time is one thing you don’t get back,” Liddiard said. “You’ve got to make the best of what we have, while we have it.”

*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.