By that time his muscles could no longer do their work and his wife Beata had to sign autographs for him. Help did come: after a home match against Bayern in April 2002, Bayern’s officials around Uli Hoeneß immediately promised support in the form of a benefit game. A foundation was set up in May 2002 and later raised 400,000 euros.\n\nNowak described his first symptoms as numbness and weakness.
Training became harder and harder. On February 10, 2001 he played his last of 83 Bundesliga matches.\n\nSoon afterwards the diagnosis was made public. He visited doctors in Germany, the Netherlands, the USA and Malaysia — about 100 in all.
None could help.\n\nKrzysztof Damian Nowak died on May 26, 2005 in Wolfsburg at the age of 29. Damned ALS.