A Greenfield man battling ALS received an overwhelming response to a billboard, allowing his family to purchase a much-needed van to help him get around.

GREENFIELD, Ind. (WTHR) - We all know how Hoosiers pull together to help people in need.

Well that's happened again, in a big way, for a family in Greenfield.

You may have seen the request for help on I-70 headed into Indianapolis - a billboard that inspired people to give. It's between the Emerson and Shadeland exits and tells people "Dave has ALS. Dave needs a van."

The response was overwhelming.

The sign is hard to miss - an electronic message on the highway seeking help and hope for a friend in need.

"It's not something we would have ever thought to do for ourselves," said Pam Barkes, about their friend Mike's decision to put up a billboard requesting help.

Pam and Dave Barkes are in the fight of their lives, dealing with a devastating diagnosis. Dave has ALS.

"He will become paralyzed. He won't be able to communicate by talking," Pam explained.

ALS is an auto-immune disease where the body essentially attacks itself. In October, doctors gave Dave, a father of four, six months to two years to live.

"I never expected to be in this position," Dave said.

It is a cruel twist of fate for a man who's lived his life helping others. As an ICU nurse, Dave cared for the very sick. Now, he's the one in need of care.

"He used to tell me patients who couldn't move but were able to think clearly, that those were the patients who had the most sympathy for because he said, they're in there but they can't move and so I know...and then now that's what's gonna happen to him and that's...it's devastating," Pam said.

But this couple also witnessed something special since the diagnosis - the generosity of others.

"It's been tremendous and beyond what I thought would happen," Dave said. "I'm so very grateful."

The fundraiser, set up by their friend online and on that big billboard, seeking $50,000 has raised more than $30,000 in four weeks.

That money partially paid for the modified van that gives Dave freedom. He's been able to go to a friend's house, a Pacers game, and his son's high school band performance.

"He would not have been able to do that without the wheelchair and the van," Pam explained.

It's all made possible by friends, former co-workers, even strangers who saw that billboard as a sign to care.

"You sometimes think there's so much hate in the world, but really there's a lot of love, too," Pam said. "There's a lot of people saying, 'We want to help, how can we help? Please accept our help.' People do care. There's still good in this world."

Dave says the positive, encouraging messages he's received online have also helped by lifting his spirits. The billboard is still up because the family is still paying down that van.

As you can imagine, medical bills are adding up, too.