In 2001, Frank Carlson, diagnosed with ALS at age 27, founded The ALS Foundation for Life (the Foundation) with the determination to help ease the incredible financial burden on those living with ALS by helping to maintain some independence and dignity in their lives. Items such as wheelchairs, stair lifts, bathroom modifications, and augmentative speech and eye gazer equipment are some of the items not fully covered by insurance but necessary to maintain a certain quality of life.
Frank ran the organization until he lost his personal battle with ALS in 2004. His family, along with a small group of volunteers who had personal experiences with ALS, kept the nonprofit operating for twenty years. The Foundation helped a countless number of persons with ALS and their families by providing grants to ease the financial burdens associated with the disease.
In 2021, the Foundation decided to pass Frank’s legacy to the ALS Association. The ALS Association is honored to continue the Foundation’s work and proudly serve Frank’s memory. The ALS Association will continue to use the Foundation’s funding, current and future, to meet its mission and provide the same financial assistance to persons with ALS and their families.
The Foundation thanks everyone supporting our mission to ease ALS’s financial burden on families. Together, we can make a difference, and we will do whatever it takes to win the fight to end ALS.
- Middlesex County: John Adebayo
- North Shore: Dobrochna Szonert
- South Shore: Donna Jordan
- Worcester and Western MA: Thomas Graef
