Like many others, I completed the Ice Bucket Challenge when it became a cultural phenomenon in 2014. Created by Anthony Senerchia, Pat Quinn, and Pete Frates, who were living with ALS and have since died from the disease, the challenge involved being doused with a…
May marks amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) awareness month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about ALS and answering the call to support those affected by the neurodegenerative disease. In the U.S. and internationally, baseball games, conferences, flag raisings, and community events are held during ALS Awareness Month to honor…
I love learning about all the great activities happening during ALS Awareness Month, but I also worry that we’re attracting the attention of unscrupulous health advocates and clinics who target vulnerable ALS patients and their families. My health-fraud antenna is on high alert. Spending 30 years managing the…
May has always been my favorite month of the year. Here in Maryland, the trees have filled in with lush green leaves, commercial crabbing boats have begun to quietly travel my small creek in the early dawn hours, and mallard ducks have returned to my yard. The evenings stay lighter…
Recognized each May, ALS Awareness Month provides an opportunity for people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and their families — as well as healthcare professionals, researchers, experts, and advocates — to increase awareness and education in the community at large, and to raise funds, all in the hope of…
“What’s the buzz? Tell me what’s a-happening, Why should you want to know? Don’t you mind about the future? Don’t you try to think ahead? Save tomorrow for tomorrow, Think about today instead.” — Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, “What’s the Buzz,” from the rock opera “Jesus Christ…
Did you know that May has been ALS Awareness Month for the past 30 years? Yes, that’s right, 30 years. Some probably think ALS awareness activities began in 2014 with the ice bucket challenge. At least that’s when many first pronounced the letters A-L-S before dumping a bucket of water…
More than 5,000 people are diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) each year, and the out-of-pocket costs of care are an estimated $250,000 for each person with the disease, according to the ALS Association. These are just a couple of the statistics about ALS that advocates, organizations, and…
I’m always eager to help others improve their understanding of what it’s like to live with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Likewise, I enjoy learning more about what others in the ALS community think and feel about living with the condition. Recently, I had the opportunity to satisfy both interests and…
“What you need, my son Is a holiday in Cambodia Where people dress in black.” Those lyrics from the song “Holiday in Cambodia” by the punk rock band Dead Kennedys illustrate how counterintuitive any public holiday display may appear. Without knowing the context, all-black attire may seem odd. Yet,…
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