You may know the old saying “ship shape.” In many ways, that old reference to order and fitness defined Yvette Wilson’s life. She joined the United States Navy immediately after high school and the discipline that experience gave her has shaped her life in many ways. Even after she left the Navy, she lived an orderly life, blessed with good health and a loving family in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
All signs pointed to a wonderful future, until one day she started experiencing a heaviness in her feet.
The ALS Association and I AM ALS on Friday submitted a petition to the Food and Drug Administration calling on the agency and Amylyx Pharmaceuticals to act swiftly and with urgency to make AMX0035 available as soon as possible. The petition was signed by more than 50,000 people from across the country who have been affected by ALS.
We recently spoke with Amber Letters - daughter, wife, mother, and part time caregiver of a person living with ALS. Amber and her family live in Pittsburgh and have been very involved with The ALS Association Western Pennsylvania Chapter. Here is what Amber had to say about her family’s journey with ALS in her own words.
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.
November 1st marks the beginning of National Family Caregivers Month, a time to recognize and honor the tremendous contributions of family caregivers. Caregiving for someone with ALS has a broad and lasting impact, in both daily life and long-term well-being.
Voting safely during a pandemic is challenging enough, but what do you do if you're high risk for contracting the coronavirus and facing mobility and motor function challenges? While the 2020 election is now just days away, it’s more important than ever to understand your rights, the voting options available in your state, and make your plan to share your voice.
The ALS Association collaborates with some of the best ALS physicians and clinics across the United States to help ensure that people living with ALS have access to the specialized care they need, based on best practices. Disrupted by the pandemic this year and the ability to see patients in person due to quarantines and safety issues, providing care in a clinic setting took on the challenges of major change, but ALS doesn’t stop and neither do we.
I was diagnosed with ALS in 2017. Even in the face of a global pandemic, we can’t wait to pursue the treatments and a cure that will end ALS. The people living with and working to end this disease aren’t quitters. They’re fighters to the last breath.
Clinical trial participants who took AMX0035, a promising new drug therapy developed by Amylyx, showed a statistically significant 6.5 month increase in survivability compared to patients who did not receive the drug in the initial trial, according to data published in the journal Muscle and Nerve in October 2020. These findings validate calls led by The ALS Association and I AM ALS for Amylyx and the FDA to make AMX0035 available as quickly as possible.
ALS doesn’t stop and neither do we. The reality is, people living with ALS can’t wait for treatments and a cure, and just as importantly, the tireless researchers working together around the world can’t wait to make the next breakthrough.
Meet Jinsy Andrews, M.D., MSc, FAAN, Director of Neuromuscular Clinical Trials at Columbia University, and member of The ALS Association Board of Trustees. Dr. Andrews is a clinical neurologist, neuromuscular specialist, and an ALS specialist.
Navigating the world of health care, insurance, and especially Medicare, can be very complicated and overwhelming. Making the right decisions when it comes to healthcare and understanding all of your options is critical for everyone, but even more so for people living with ALS.
We can’t wait for this pandemic to be over to continue serving and supporting our communities. Here are 7 things you can do right now to support people living with ALS.
Before his diagnosis, John Russo had two fears: the first was getting attacked by a shark while fishing at night, and the second was being diagnosed with ALS. He managed to avoid the sharks, but not ALS. After taking a few weeks to process what the rest of his life would look like, he realized he needed to face down his biggest fear and keep going. He found a new purpose: making life better for people living with ALS across the country, as well as deepening research efforts to learn more about the disease.
We recently talked with Bandon Staple, one of this year’s award recipients, to learn a little more about his connection to ALS, what receiving the scholarship means to him, and what his future plans are in healthcare.
We spoke with Renée Hetzler, physical therapist at the University of Rochester Medical Center’s multidisciplinary ALS and Huntington Disease Clinics, who shared her thoughts and experiences with patients and insights about the importance of physical therapy for people living with ALS.
We recently talked with Cierra Abbott, one of this year’s award recipients, to learn a little more about her personal connection to ALS, what receiving the scholarship means to her, and what her future plans are.
We recently talked with Hastings Moffitt, one of this year’s award recipients, to learn a little more about her connection to ALS, what receiving the scholarship means to her, and what her future plans are in healthcare.
More than 43,000 people signed The ALS Association’s petition, launched September 3 with I Am ALS, to call on the FDA and Amylyx Pharmaceuticals to work together to speed up the process of getting AMX0035 available for people living with ALS as quickly as possible.
