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How do you sum up ALS?

FATAL

CRUEL

NO CURE

…. CAN STRIKE ANYONE

 

ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.  ALS is a fatal disease that attacks the nerve cells (motor neurons) in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement and muscle power, eventually leaving the patient completely paralyzed.  As the muscles waste away, a person with ALS loses their ability to walk, speak, swallow, and eventually breathe.  Yet in most patients their mind remains unaffected.  An ALS diagnosis proves fatal in an average of three to five years.  

 

ALS is not a rare disease.  A little over 5,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year and of the current U.S. population, over 300,000 Americans will die from ALS.   ALS can strike anyone, at any age, without regard to race or ethnic background.  Approximately 80% of cases begin between 40-70 years of age.

 

This organization was founded in memory of Carolyn DePerno (1941-1999).  Carolyn lost her battle to ALS at 58 years old, just four months after being diagnosed.