I am participating in the Minnesota Walk to Defeat ALS fundraiser. I set the fundraising goal at $10,000 this year because I’m trying to do everything I can to make an impact on this disease and the people and families affected by it. I have a very personal reason to raise money - I am fundraising in memory of, my husband Larry, who died 8 years ago from ALS, Lou Gehrig disease.
I mean this with all my heart when I say, Larry and I couldn't have made it through without the items we were giving to use, the knowledge they offered and the compassion the local chapter gave us!
WHO GETS ALS?
Every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with the disease and someone passes away from it.
Most people who develop ALS are between the ages of 40 and 70, with an average age of 55 at the time of diagnosis. However, cases of the disease do occur in people in their twenties and thirties.
ALS is 20 percent more common in men than in women. However, with increasing age, the incidence of ALS is more equal between men and women.
About 90 percent of ALS cases occur without family history, which is known as sporadic ALS. The remaining 10 percent of ALS cases are inherited through a mutated gene, which is known as familial ALS.
For unknown reasons, military veterans are up to twice as likely to be diagnosed with the disease as the general public. Together, we can create a world without ALS.
Sincerely, Kathy (Bird), Adele, Ralph, Alli & Abby
