Jackie Heltz is a producer, filmmaker, and writer with a passion for issue-driven documentaries. She is also a dedicated volunteer in the fight against ALS.
In celebration of mothers everywhere today, we are honored to share the story of celebrity hairdresser and beauty expert, Ken Paves, and his amazing story about life, love and caring for his beautiful mother, Helen, who recently lost her battle with ALS.
May is ALS Awareness Month, an opportunity for the ALS community to work together to help educate people about this devastating disease and shine a spotlight on the impact ALS has on the families it touches. To kick off the month of May, we’re highlighting eight easy ways you can help raise awareness this month and beyond.
Since high school, twenty-two-year-old Wil Armstrong dreamed of cycling across the country. After witnessing the impact of ALS on Rodney Lapp, his former mentor and high school basketball coach, Wil found his purpose to make this dream a reality.
From the latest updates on ALS research and advocacy to information about caring for people living with ALS and stories from around the country, the Association’s blog covered it all. Here is a quick look at the top 10 features our readers enjoyed most.
Every year on June 21 the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations celebrates Global ALS Awareness Day, a day of recognition of ALS/MND – a disease that affects people in every country around the globe.
ALS is not unique to the US, it’s a global problem. It does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or region. People are living with the disease all over the world, and for every person diagnosed, the impact of the disease will forever be felt by their loved ones.
This week marked a historical moment in the fight against ALS with the official launch of Lou Gehrig Day, now an annual event across Major League Baseball to help spread awareness and raise funds for people living with ALS and their families.
Many believe that all it takes is one song to bring back 1,000 memories, moments we hold dear and relive in our minds every time we listen to it. No one knows this better than the Vickers family, sharing their beautiful memories and storytelling through music, rhythm and melody.
To help empower kids in the fight against ALS, The ALS Association is celebrating the third annual ALS Youth Action Day on Saturday, May 15. It’s a day where kids across the country can take the ALS Youth Challenge and use the power of their creativity to help raise awareness and critical funds that help researchers around the world look for treatments and a cure while enabling people with ALS to live longer, higher quality lives.
Susan Seabrook is a wife, a mom, a sister, and a caregiver for her mother living with ALS. In honor of her mother on this Mother’s Day, she is sharing her family’s personal story, their journey with ALS and many of the moments she cherishes most.
Sally Dwyer is the Director of Mission Strategy & Integration for the Mid-America Chapter at The ALS Association. She has worked with the Association for 26 years and has experienced many moments and milestones throughout her career serving people impacted by ALS.
Rare Disease Day® is an opportunity to recognize strength in coming together. It is estimated there are more than 7,000 rare diseases affecting 25-30 million Americans. That means one in ten Americans suffer from a rare disease, including people living with ALS.
After watching his Aunt Christie battle ALS for more than nine years, twenty-one-year-old Ryan Wilson was determined to find a way to honor her fight and make a difference for the ALS community. So, he decided to ride his bike from Poughkeepsie, NY to Miami, FL to help raise awareness and funds for ALS research.
Our family’s journey with ALS was no doubt the saddest and hardest thing we ever encountered. But we managed to stay strong through it, and the entire experience brought us all even closer together. In the end, it became the most special and magical journey our family ever had together.
We recently spoke with Kathleen Poirier - wife, mother, and a person living with ALS. Kathleen and her family live in Florida and have been very involved with The ALS Association Florida Chapter. Here is what Kathleen had to say about her family’s journey with ALS in her own words.
For the most part, high school senior Kellie-Anne Poirier was like any other kid growing up - going to school, enjoying time with her friends, and traveling around the world with her family. That was all true until ALS came crashing into her life.
Gail and Paul Dotson wanted to donate to their friend Dave’s Walk to Defeat ALS® team, Pam’s Pals. The Dotson’s grew pumpkins all summer and engaged their grandchildren in the harvest, sale, and donation process.
I am the legacy of Oscar Aukschun, who was a wood pattern maker and first generation American and a resident of Cleveland, Ohio who developed weakness of his hands and arms in 1943 around the age of 43 years. He was a hard-working father who provided for his wife and three children.
