Chris Dennis dribbled the basketball and brushed past his brother. His brother, Matt, scuffed his sneaker against the pavement angrily. As Chris lined up for his next shot, Matt took his revenge.

“I smoked him with my hand and left a hand imprint on his chest for three days,” Matt recalled with a laugh.

DISCONNECTED
More than 15 years after the fight, the two are sitting together on Chris’ bed watching a movie full of explosions. Chris can’t play basketball anymore: He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in April of this year. While the disease is slowly deteriorating his 24-year-old body, it’s helping Matt and Chris rebuild a once strained relationship. 

The two fought mercilessly when they were young. Being only 18 months apart increased the competitive nature of their brotherly bickering. But unlike most brothers, they didn’t grow closer as they matured. College was the hardest stage in their relationship, Chris said, because they were trying to develop into independent adults. Now Chris lives with Matt and his new wife Shannon in Muncie, Ind.

“Shortly after (I developed Lou Gehrig’s) my brother asked if I would live with him and his wife, which they just got married in June of this year,” Chris said. “I was like ‘You’re getting married, do you really want me in your house?’ He goes ‘Some things are more important than other things.’”

A DEADLY DIAGNOSIS
Chris was coaching an eighth-grade basketball team in December when he noticed his left hand wasn’t reacting like it had in the past. In January he started limping. A couple weeks later he developed chest pains. On Valentine’s Day, Chris went to see his family doctor. After months of extensive tests, Chris was diagnosed with ALS, commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease.

ALS is a “progressive neurodegenerative disease” that ultimately kills motor neurons that control muscle movement, according to the ALS Association’s Web-site. The average life expectancy after being diagnosed with ALS is two to five years.

“It didn’t really affect me at first,” Chris said. “My goal that first day was to be strong for (my mom) and the rest of my family.”

BROTHERLY LOVE
As Matt, shorter and out-weighed, lifts Chris into his wheelchair, it’s not certain who is stronger. There’s a similar strength in their eyes, in the way they smile and in their matching red “Strike Out ALS” bracelets. Matt grunts softly and gently places Chris’ immobile feet onto the chair’s leg supports.

“He has been really the strongest part in this whole situation,” Chris said. “It’s very hard for me to move at all, so a lot of the things I used to love to do are a lot harder.”

“I really won’t say it’s a burden,” Matt said. “But it’s just different. We deal with the changes.”

Living together especially, Matt said, has brought the two of them closer. They hang out, watch TV and go to movies.

“Usually with his friends because he’s got so many,” Matt said, bumping Chris’ shoulder playfully with his own.

Chris answered Matt’s taunt with a patronizing smile. Books line the shelves over their heads, a sign of Chris’ love for reading. His book collection is what makes Chris good at his job as an instructional assistant at Delta Middle School’s library.

HIS DREAM
Chris has always dreamed of working with children; he majored in elementary education in college. A year ago, he was painting houses when he realized he wasn’t accomplishing his goal.

“I realized that the window of time I had… was getting pretty thin,” Chris said. “I realized that I couldn’t do a job that didn’t involve kids.”

Chris speaks to classes, teaching 7th and 8th-graders about ALS. It was a cool way to have students learn and find out their own potential.

Chris Dennis stacks books at his job at Delta Middle School.

A picture of Matt Dennis and his wife, Shannon, rests on the counter. The two share their home with Chris.