Cliff Eby ’73 is no stranger to solving problems.
Considering his civil engineering degree from Lehigh, MBA from George Washington University, and a career in engineering that spanned over four decades, most recently as the president of one of the world’s leading engineering firms, you know Eby has dealt with big challenges.
But now, Eby is facing the most important engineering challenge of his life: helping his daughter, Brooke Eby ’10, cope with the daily struggles in her battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Says Cliff, “I think that engineering helps me get through the denial piece of it, or the progression [of the disease], as a challenge to say, ‘OK, how do we make this easier?’”
Engineering for ALS
Brooke now lives with Cliff and mom Ginny, and they’ve made multiple modifications to their home to help make sure Brooke’s daily mobility and accessibility needs are met.
“I guess I would call myself a frustrated inventor because I’ve always wanted to invent something,” says Cliff. “But with ALS [because of the fast progression of the disease], what we learned pretty quickly is that what works today doesn’t work tomorrow, so you have to be very flexible.”
Some days can be a challenge, but Cliff and Brooke never give up. Says Brooke, “I feel like we go through phases. Like a couple of weeks ago, I just started crying because everything we were trying was not working. And Dad said, ‘Yeah, I agree. We’re striking out a little lately, but we’re going to turn it around.’”
They have celebrated big wins, too. One important issue to tackle was bathroom access. The solution was a chair system that they found, which glides on a track and transports Brooke to different locations in her bathroom, making her daily routine safe.
It was lots of fun, too. Watch Brooke and Cliff have some laughs as she tries it out.
Crushing It on TikTok
When Brooke first found out she had ALS, she spent two months mostly in bed. When the shock wore off, she started writing down all the funny things people said to her, and she made a video about it that went viral on TikTok. A natural comedian, Brooke has continued to chronicle her journey on social media.
In recording her daily adventures, by association, Cliff became a social media star as well.
He’s been by her side as a dad, a strong advocate for ALS support, and also as her travel partner, crisscrossing the country while accompanying her to speaking engagements.
Last year, Cliff and Brooke traveled to Denver, where she was the keynote speaker at the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Clinical & Scientific Conference. Whether he likes it or not, Cliff is now also officially an influencer, showing off his keen vlogging skills during the trip.
One of the most meaningful events to Cliff was when Brooke was invited to throw out the first pitch at the Orioles and Nationals games during ALS Awareness Night. “She had a great throwing arm back in the day. When I got home from work, the glove and ball would be sitting in the backyard, and we’d go out and throw. It used to make me cry every time,” remembers Cliff. “So just to be able to watch her throw out that first pitch at both the Orioles and the Nationals games and being down on the field to watch the whole thing was just great.”
Watch Brooke and Cliff prepare for Brooke’s big moment with the Orioles.
ALS Is a Family Affair
Supporting Brooke through all of this has been her tight-knit family. Along with her parents are brother Chris Eby ’05 and sister Sarah Eby.
Chris is also a Lehigh engineering grad with a career in investment banking, which has taken him to Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, and now Blue Owl Capital. With Chris’ wife, son, and daughter joining in Brooke’s ALS cause for a cure, the mission is officially a family affair.
“My daughter organized a bake sale in our town, and everyone from her class came out and helped. It was really a big hit. And my wife is leading a tennis event to raise awareness as well. So everyone is super supportive,” says Chris. “It’s interesting to watch our kids. They call Brooke and love talking to her. So any way they can get involved, they do.”
The Push for a Cure
Brooke’s story on social media has put a young face on ALS. Her humorous and sometimes heartbreaking posts about the disease’s difficulties have raised awareness of the importance of finding a cure.
The Eby family has been tireless in their fundraising efforts for ALS research, reaching over $1 million this year. And they’re not slowing down.
In March, Brooke returned to Lehigh University (virtually) to give the keynote speech at the 2025 Soaring Together Women’s Summit, an event to strengthen the bonds of Lehigh alumnae.
In her speech, she said, “I think everyone's a lot more resilient than we give ourselves credit for. So it’s about just trusting yourself and trusting the people around you to pick you up when you need a boost.”
And for Brooke, the whole Eby family has done just that.
