June is ALS Awareness Month in Canada. And while we are only four days in, already there has been lots of momentum behind our shared cause: MPs have made statements in the House of Commons; landmarks have been lit in purple; WALK for ALS events are in full swing in communities across the country.
Awareness is important to create shared understanding of the dire need to create a future without ALS. Those who are living with or have cared for someone with the disease know only too well how ALS can take dreams, abilities, lives.
I’ve told the story of my cousin Doug before. With a sharp wit, sense of adventure and zest for life, Doug was loved by everyone who knew him. I will never forget the day in December 2008 when he told me about his ALS diagnosis. In the years that followed, despite that diagnosis, Doug truly lived, full of gratitude for every second he was given. He taught me so much about how precious every moment is. Doug died in 2013. But his memory inspires me every day.
Awareness is a big part of creating a future without ALS because it inspires people to take action — whether supporting someone who is living with the disease, volunteering their time, organizing a fundraising event, or making a donation. By translating your action into research investment, we are closer than ever before to making ALS a treatable, not terminal disease.
Your support is the reason researchers are mapping the DNA profiles of 15,000 people with ALS in 17 countries, helping them pinpoint the genetic mutations that lead to an ALS diagnosis. Your support is why there are now more ALS treatments in development than ever before.
We know that families living with an ALS diagnosis right now are in the midst of a challenging journey – one that is overwhelming and can bring feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. This awareness month, we’ll be asking others to act against that hopelessness and helplessness — by honouring the care, love and hope that exists to face an ALS diagnosis and maintaining hope by giving to ALS research. It’s the only way we can create a future without ALS.
Tammy Moore
CEO, ALS Canada
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When you donate today, you’ll have the chance to tell the story of your reasons for giving – as a reminder of the things ALS has taken, but also of the things it can’t.
If you have already given, thank you. We invite you to share your reasons for giving on our Facebook page or by tagging @ALSCanada on Twitter.