Carmen Schentrup had a dream: a world without ALS. Her career aspiration was to become a medical researcher and to be part of The ALS Association’s work to cure ALS. Tragically, Carmen’s life was cut short in the horrific Parkland shooting. However, her dream to contribute to a cure is being realized in a significant way.
Every two years, hundreds of ALS health care professionals come together to discuss new trends, share best practices and guidelines, exchange ideas and successes, and talk about challenges and potential solutions. To capture the collaborative power of the 2018 event in Fort Worth, Texas – our largest-ever Clinical Conference, with more than 500 attendees – we put together a short video highlight reel.
At our most recent clinical conference, we honored Frances (Fran) McClellan with the Lawrence A. Rand Prize. The award recognizes the courage, passion, integrity, and commitment of people serving the ALS community as volunteers, health care professionals, educators, communicators, or in other ways contributing to the quality of life of people living with ALS. It was established by Lawrence Rand, a former chairman of the Association’s Board of Trustees who played a major role in laying the cornerstone of what is now The ALS Association.
We had the pleasure of joining ALS scientists, clinicians, health care professionals, industry and advocacy partners, and, most importantly, people with ALS and their families at the annual events hosted by the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations and the MND Association last month. It’s always a great opportunity to come together and learn from each other.
We’ve been telling you how excited we are about PopSockets joining the fight against ALS this summer. The company is donating 10 percent of net proceeds for every PopSockets grip purchased on their website through September 30.
The ALS Association teamed up with a group of expert data analysts at Mastercard who spent more than 24 consecutive hours to help our national office and chapters gather insights into improving operations and strategies to advance our mission to find a cure for ALS.
On December 7, 2017, Calaneet Balas began her role as president and CEO for The ALS Association. This article is the first in a new monthly blog series called "Calaneet’s Corner." Each column will provide you with a mission update and let you hear directly from Calaneet. Our first column goes behind the scenes to get to know Calaneet.
People living with ALS eventually lose the ability to speak. That means that preserving channels of communication is an important component of enhancing quality of life. The ALS Association - DC/MD/VA Chapter took this to heart when they initiated The Esther Lerner Brenner ALS Assistive Technology Lab in Maryland, which is designed to help people living with ALS communicate effectively for as long as possible.
On December 13-14, 2017, 52 people gathered in Charlotte, N.C., to discuss how to increase awareness and participation in the National ALS Registry, the only population-based registry in the country collecting information to help scientists learn more about who gets ALS and its causes. Researchers use the Registry in their studies to find possible treatments and a cure.
We always enjoy our time at the annual events hosted by the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations and the MND Association. This year was no exception. We listened, learned, networked, got inspired, caught up with old friends and colleagues, and so much more.
People with ALS come first in everything we do. The ALS Association is dedicated to providing those fighting ALS, their families, and friends with the critical information, support, and resources necessary to live a full life and better meet daily challenges.
Earlier this month, The ALS Association was happy to travel to Dublin to participate in the 27th International Symposium on ALS/MND. The Symposium, the largest ever, brought together top ALS researchers and clinicians from all over the world. People in attendance, including those from The ALS Association, used the hashtag #alssymp during the event. Here are some of our favorites!
Our friend Ted Harada passed away this week. Many of you may have known him. Ted was first diagnosed with ALS in August 2010 and immediately became a tireless advocate, volunteer, and voice of the ALS community.
Why would a man who had everything taken away so quickly be so…positive? Was he referring to the four home runs he hit in a single game? Maybe it had something to do with his Triple Crown win in 1934. Did The Iron Horse and future Hall of Famer not understand what most of us here know would happen to him as time progressed?
