In 2007 my Uncle died of ALS. It was terrible to see, but I thought after his death, we were done with it. Then in the summer of 2011, my mom fell. She was in her storage unit getting supplies to go back to her classroom for the school year, so we just assumed she tripped on something. When her leg started to weaken, we assumed it was because she had been taken out of the classroom to become an itinerant teacher, which meant she spent a lot of time sitting and driving rather than walking around a classroom. We thought she should get more excercise to strenghten her leg. Around Christmas of that year she went to the doctor because her leg wasn't getting any better and she was having more trouble walking. After a battery of tests, in early 2012 we got the news. She had ALS. 

   No one should have to go through the things that ALS puts you through. No family should have to take care of and watch a loved one deal with this disease. No one should have to get the news that there is no cure and that the average life expectancy from time of diagnosis is 2 to 5 years. No one should have to live with the fact that we don't know much about this disease and so we have no truly effective treatment. 

My mother died as a result of ALS in 2014,  so I'm walking to defeat ALS--to raise money so that the ALS association can continue to provide help to families dealing with this disease and fund the research that will one day lead to a cure. I'm on a team with some of my old girl scout troop members who grew up with and lovedmy mom too. We're joined by my family and one of our troop's old co-leaders whose sister also, sadly, passed away from ALS, not long ago.

I need your help, though. Please consider a donation to me or another member of Team Oppenheimer. $1, $5 or $10 will help. Every little bit adds up and helps give hope to everyone effected by ALS. Right now, hope is the best thing we can give. 

Thank you in advance for your help. Please know that every donation means a lot to me.

~Rachel

If you'd like to know a little more about ALS, please read below: 

Thank you for helping me reach my Walk to Defeat ALS® fundraising goal! This is an exciting opportunity for us to work together to support those affected by Lou Gehrig's Disease and to spread awareness of the urgency to find treatments and a cure.

Please consider walking with me or sponsoring me. With your help, we will be able to make a difference in the lives of people affected by this disease. I encourage you get your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers involved!

Why We Need Your Help

Often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease that slowly robs the body of its ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe. The life expectancy of an ALS patient averages 2 to 5 years from the time of diagnosis.

Every 90 minutes a person in this country is diagnosed with ALS and every 90 minutes another person will lose their battle against this disease. ALS occurs throughout the world with no racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic boundaries.

This crippling disease can strike anyone. Presently there is no known cause of the disease though support is bringing researchers closer to an answer. In the mean time it costs an average of $200,000 a year to provide the care ALS patients need. Help make a difference and donate or join a walk today.

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