In 2010, ALS took away someone very dear to us — my fiancé's mother, DeeDee. Though I never had the chance to meet her, her presence is palpable in the stories and memories shared by my loved ones. She was the heart and soul of our family, filled with laughter and love. Her absence is felt every day, but her spirit inspires us to keep fighting.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It takes away the ability to walk, dress, write, speak, swallow, and breathe, and is 100% fatal as there currently is no cure.

For years now, our family has joined the Walk to Defeat ALS every September, standing shoulder to shoulder in honor of DeeDee. This year, on September 7th, we're lacing up our shoes once again, determined to make a difference.

My future sister-in-law, Andee, leads our team with strength and grace, carrying on her mother's legacy as the matriarch of our family. Her words echo our sentiments: the ache never fades, but neither does our hope for a cure.

With each step we take, we're one step closer to that future. But we can't do it alone.

Your support, whether through donations, joining our team, or volunteering means the world to us. Together, let's turn our grief into action, our hope into reality.

Join us in the fight against ALS. Thank you for standing with us.