Every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with ALS and someone else loses their battle with the disease. ALS not only robs a person of their ability to walk, talk, eat and breathe, it also destroys families. 

Scared, angry, anxious, lost. These are just a few of the emotions you might be experiencing when someone you love is diagnosed with ALS. On average, caregivers spend around 11 hours EACH DAY handling tasks such as bathing, dressing and meals. 1 out of 4 ALS caregivers have said they have had to borrow money or go into debt and over half of all caregivers state depression is a top concern for themselves. 

The average life expectancy for someone diagnosed with ALS is 2-5 years. My mother's battle was four months. And let me tell you, those were the longest, hardest four months of my life. Watching someone you love quickly lose all ability to perform basic life functions, is something I cannot describe. My mother was once an energetic animated person who always knew how to have a good time. Because of the brutality of ALS, I have to fight to remember my mom as she was before the disease. I have to fight to remember myself before the disease crushed our lives, before grief, guilt, and anxiety ruled my every thought. I hope that sharing a bit of my ALS story will bring awareness to the cruelty of this disease that took my mom's life and possibly help others who are serving or have served as caretakers to feel less alone on their ALS journey. 

I am walking in honor of my mother, in honor of all the ALS caregivers in the world, to all the people who have lost their battle and to those who are just starting theirs. I am walking in hopes to make strides to a new future, where ALS is a more manageable disease for everyone.