May is ALS Awareness Month, an opportunity for the ALS community to work together to educate people about this devastating disease and share stories and facts about the impact ALS has on the families it touches.

Join the fight with us and share many of these commonly unknown facts about ALS with people you know:

• ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. There are currently no effective treatments and there is no cure, yet. 
• More than 5,000 people are diagnosed with ALS each year.
• The average life expectancy is only 2-5 years after diagnosis.
• Ninety percent of diagnosed ALS cases occur without family history.
• Most people are diagnosed with ALS between the ages of 40 and 70 with the average age being 55. This terrible disease knows no racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic boundaries. It can strike anyone at any time.
• Every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with ALS, and every 90 minutes, someone dies from ALS.
• Military veterans, regardless of branch of service, era in which they served, or peace or wartime service, are more likely to be diagnosed with ALS. Currently, the connection is unknown.

We know with awareness, funding will come. Highlighting important milestones and the meaningful moments people in the ALS community cherish will help illustrate the many challenges families face with an ALS diagnosis. Follow us this month, share our stories and news and help us spread the word about the urgent need to end ALS. 

Click here to learn more about ALS.

This month only all gifts to the ALS Association will be doubled – up to $25,000 – thanks to a generous match from Philips Respironics! Please, double your impact and donate now.