Erin's Day for ALS Awareness - Fighting ALS is a Full-Time Job

for further information or to donate to the research that can help locate treatments and, someday, a cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), please visit als.org -- and please continue past the end of the article for a brief memory of my soulmate Erin, the amazing woman to whom this post and future posts like these are dedicated.

The ALS Association: Fighting ALS is a Full-Time Job

Make your donation at ALS.org

The ALS Association symbolizes the hopes of people everywhere that Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis will one day be a disease of the past - relegated to historical status, studied in medical textbooks, conquered by the dedication of thousands who have worked ceaselessly to understand and eradicate this perplexing killer. 

Until that day comes, The ALS Association relentlessly pursues its mission to help people living with ALS and to leave no stone unturned in search for the cure of the progressive neurodegenerative disease that took the life and name of Baseball Legend Lou Gehrig.

As the only not-for-profit voluntary health agency dedicated solely to the fight against ALS, we direct the largest privately-funded research enterprise engaged to uncover the mystery of a disease that affects as many as 30,000 annually. With more than 5,600 people diagnosed each year - an average of 15 new cases each day - our mission is urgent. The search for answers knows no bounds. 

The ALS Association's far-reaching efforts extend to Capitol Hill and some of the world's finest research laboratories. To date The ALS Association has supported over $80 million in ALS research. We've brought the ALS community the historic Medicare waiver of the 24-month waiting period and a 100% increase in funding since our advocacy campaign began. 

But nowhere does this battle reach deepest than in our work with ALS patients and their families. We embrace thousands of those stricken with the disease with the world's most comprehensive program of care and services. Our nation-wide network of chapters coordinates services with care and compassion - making a difference in the lives of people with Lou Gehrig's disease. Our hallmark of quality is exemplified in centers and clinics that deliver advanced care and meet The ALS Association's rigorous criteria for certification.
Our accomplishments are made possible by the generosity of others. From the smallest donation to the largest gift, donors touch the ALS community with hope for the future. This terrible disease knows no racial, ethnic or socioeconomic boundaries. It can strike anyone at any time. 

Despite the mysterious nature of ALS, breathtaking advances in science, medicine and technology are shaping a future of unparalleled hope for those with ALS. The ALS Association is at the forefront in this new world, encouraging young scientists to combine new thinking with these advances to unlock the mysteries of ALS - to push the envelope in therapy and scientific research. 

The ALS Association is waging the war against this killer 24/7. Every 90 minutes, an American dies of ALS. Time isn't on the side of those afflicted. Fighting ALS is a full-time job. 
  

The following article can be found in its entirety at http://als.org/index.php?page=about_us

     

We were #squadgoals before Taylor Swift claimed it - we rolled together strong, we uplifted one another and, whenever one of us was in crisis, we'd walk from anywhere to be wherever the other needed us. We embraced the darkness together, we embraced the light together, and we laughed and loved everything in between. We gathered around beer, music, projects (shared or solo)... but mostly food. (smile) So, we called ourselves the Snack Pack. And wherever we were together, we were the center of attention. We made everyone around us part of our crew, and we loved to make everyone around us laugh and smile. The three of us that remain vow to keep Erin's light shining, and to keep spreading the love we used to when we were a quartet of magical sisters. 

Long Live the Snack Pack.