I'm participating in CEO Soak to raise funds for The ALS Association, specifically the Paul LaRochelle Quality of Life Grant Program. ALS is a terrible disease that impacted my dad’s ability to walk, talk and care for himself, but the lasting impact to families and the greater community, are often overlooked.
It’s been a decade since the original Ice Bucket Challenge, and the CEO Soak is a new take on this idea. This New Hampshire-based event is organized to raise awareness of ALS and support the Northern New England ALS community. The ALS Association supports cutting edge research, provides care services and advocates for those affected by ALS, all with the mission to keep hope alive.
If you have the means, I ask for you to donate to this worthy cause, but there are so many other ways to help! Join our team, spread the word, volunteer at this event or the numerous walks occurring this fall. Be part of the change!
Prefer to make a donation by check? Click here for a printable donation form!
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Introduction
I hope to use these blog updates to provide some context about how ALS impacts patients, care givers and the greater community. Everyone's story is different, and none are easy. The ALS Association Care Services team were there for my family throughout this process. This disease is horrible, and a death sentence, but it also puts tremendous stress on the primary care giver. After my dad's diagnosis, my mom took on this role. Three months after my dad's diagnosis, my mom went back to her job as a crisis counselor. On her second night back she slumped over in her chair. The team she worked with administered CPR and called an ambulance, but she was already gone. Three months later, my dad passed. My younger sister was in the last year of college, my older sister gave birth to her third child two months previous, and I was in the third year of a five year PhD program. I still think our family's experience with ALS had a lot of luck and it could have been much worse. But at the time, the focus was how to get through each day and plan for what's next.
by Ethan LaRochelle on Sun, May 21, 2023 @ 11:53 AM
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