Published in Fund Development, Giving Tuesday, Stories on November 24, 2020
Tags: ALS, ALS awareness, als stories, community, Donate to ALS, donating to ALS, fundraising, giving, giving back, holidays, living with ALS, support
Here and now. After a year and a half of undiagnosed symptoms and testing, in November of 2018 I was diagnosed with ALS. I really remember that day as a transformative one. One moment my doctor was dropping the weight of the world on my shoulders by telling me I have ALS, and the next […]
Published in Fund Development, Stories on November 3, 2020
Tags: ALS, ALS awareness, als stories, care, caregiving, community, Donate to ALS, donating to ALS, families with ALS, find a cure for ALS, finding a cure for als, fundraising, giving, giving back, living with ALS, support
Mark Vivarais was almost in tears as he walked back to his wife, Sandra, from a washroom at an outdoor outlet mall in Florida. He’d been stuck in there for half an hour, struggling to pull himself up from the low toilet seat. “That’s when it hit me,” Sandra recalled. “Oh my god, this is […]
Published in Events, Fund Development on September 28, 2020
Tags: ALS, community engagement, fundraising, Get Involved, giving, giving back, support
Every year, hundreds of community events take place across Ontario, raising critical awareness and funds toward a future without ALS. With the pandemic changing the way we work, dine and live, our dedicated community is adapting how they fundraise, too. We’ve compiled a list of some of the amazing and creative ways ALS Canada event […]
Published in Stories, Walk To End ALS on September 12, 2019
Tags: 2019-personal-stories, ALS, als cure, als stories, community, community engagement, Donate to ALS, families with ALS, find a cure for ALS, living with ALS, support, walk to end als
When Shelly Gregory first noticed her speech was slurred two years ago, she drove herself to the hospital in Belleville thinking she was having a stroke. Eight months later, in May 2018, she learned she had bulbar onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – a form of ALS that first affects people from the neck up. Since […]
Published in Fund Development, Stories on August 23, 2019
Tags: 2019-personal-stories, ALS, ALS research, als stories, caregiving, Donate to ALS, Every August, Every August Until A Cure, families with ALS, fundraising, Ice Bucket Challenge, support
Five years ago, when the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge went viral in 2014, Mario knew very little about ALS, and had no idea how it would affect his life. Because of a co-worker whose dad was living with ALS, Mario completed the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. “Once I got tagged in a post there was […]
Published in Support & Services on December 4, 2017
Tags: resources, services, support
If you are diagnosed with ALS in Ontario, you can access information, care and support through a few different sources: ALS Canada, your ALS clinic, and the LHIN (Local Health Integration Network, formerly known as the CCAC or Community Care Access Centre). Understanding the different role of each organization can help you decide who to […]
Published in Support & Services on November 30, 2017
Tags: caregivers, services, support
Caring for a loved one with ALS can bring out some of the best qualities in a person ‒ commitment, compassion, and resilience among them. At the same time, it is a stressful, emotionally draining, and sometimes overwhelming role. Being a caregiver to someone with ALS means new responsibilities and considerations as well as unexpected […]
Published in Support & Services on November 16, 2017
Tags: caregiving, community, holidays, living with ALS, support
What do you give someone living with ALS to show you care? There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ gift that works for everyone, but there are special ways to say “I am thinking of you.” The holiday season can be a perfect time to do just that. We recognize that it’s not always easy to know how to […]
Published in Fund Development on September 6, 2017
Tags: community engagement, fund development, support
Are you looking for new and exciting ways to support ALS Canada this fall? This blog post outlines seven ways to get involved, join a community and make an impact on the lives of people and families living with ALS. To learn more about events outside of Ontario, please visit your provincial ALS Society’s website. […]
Published in Support & Services on July 18, 2017
Tags: ALS, support
Updated November 28, 2017 As we mentioned in an earlier post, ALS Canada has made some improvements to our service offering with the goal of strengthening the support we offer to people and families living with ALS in Ontario. In mid-July, we shared some of the enhancements made to our equipment program. Another important area […]
Published in Support & Services on July 12, 2017
Tags: als stories, support
Updated November 28, 2017 In a previous post we shared that we would be implementing a series of improvements to better serve people and families living with ALS in Ontario. One of the improvements we made was to our equipment program, which provides people with a range of items – mobility devices, lifts and transfers, […]
Published in Advocacy, Stories on May 24, 2017
Tags: caregiving, families with ALS, family, giving, giving back, legacy, living with ALS, support
Deirdre O’Connor and her husband, Floyd, became ALS Canada donors 15 years ago. At the time, they had no personal connection to the cause, but they liked the fact that ALS Canada was a small, cost-effective charitable organization without a lot of overhead. Deirdre’s generosity extends to half a dozen or more organizations she supports […]
Published in Stories on May 13, 2017
Tags: als stories, care, caregiving, community, families with ALS, family, fundraising, living with ALS, Mother's Day, remembering, support, WALK for ALS
For many families, Mother’s Day is a time of celebration and joy. For others, it can be a time of sadness and reflection when there is an empty seat at a once-filled dinner table. For Anna Acheson, Sunday will be the first Mother’s Day she spends without her mother, Margaret. After participating in the 2016 […]
Published in Stories on February 14, 2017
Tags: ALS, caregiving, living with ALS, support
This Valentine’s Day, we would like to highlight Trevor and Jennifer’s story about finding love while living with ALS. – Trevor was my first love in high school. Although short term, the strong connection we had was never forgotten. We lost track of each other but reconnected again after 28 years on Facebook in 2015. […]
Published in Events on October 14, 2016
Tags: ALS, ALS awareness, community, fundraising, giving, support, WALK for ALS
Throughout the spring, summer and fall of 2016, Canadians showed they care about beating ALS, the devastating neuromuscular disease that gradually paralyzes people and takes away their ability to move, talk, swallow, eat and eventually breathe. In communities across the country – from Victoria, BC to St. John’s, NL, and from Windsor, ON to Whitehorse, […]
Published in Volunteers on March 15, 2016
Tags: community, community engagement, Get Involved, support, volunteer
Community engagement plays a really important role in fundraising for ALS Canada. We are grateful for everyone who gets involved and dedicates their time to hosting BBQ’s, block parties, dance-a-thons, and Ice Bucket Challenges! We could not do the work we do, without your support. Meet Kinga Repic. ALS Canada: What kind of community events […]
Published in Stories on February 12, 2016
Tags: ALS, als stories, care, caregiving, community, support
1988. At the office. A young independent redhead grabs Jocelyn’s attention immediately. She emits a contagious “joie de vivre” that instantly seduces the young man. Chantal, on the other hand, was charmed by Jocelyn’s ability to listen and his sincere consideration for everyone around him. After almost 23 years of marriage and a daughter named Maya, their […]
Published in Advocacy on January 4, 2016
Tags: advocacy, ALS, ALS awareness, policy, support
We are pleased to advise you that the Government of Canada has announced the activation of the extension of the Compassionate Care Benefit (CCB) from six to 26 weeks. Effective January 3, 2016, caregivers can now claim up to $13,624 in benefits, where previously it was $3,144. We hope this announcement will now relieve some […]
Published in Stories on December 1, 2015
Tags: fundraising, giving, support
Today is Giving Tuesday. On this very special day of giving from the heart, I hope you’ll give the most precious gift of all — the gift of hope. Right now, approximately 3,000 Canadians are living with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) — a degenerative disease that quickly and progressively steals a person’s mobility, speech and […]
Published in Stories on September 23, 2015
Tags: ALS, ALS awareness, fundraising, giving, Ice Bucket Challenge, support
Last month, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was re-ignited by the ALS Community. The team working at the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club have always supported the Community and the cause. Last month, they extended an invitation to ALS Canada to bring clients and their families and donors together to enjoy a game. We want to thank […]
Published in Stories on July 30, 2015
Tags: ALS, ALS awareness, fundraising, giving, Ice Bucket Challenge, support
“The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge gave me back the voice that ALS was taking from me. It took my personal struggle and gave it validation and hope. We need to keep going to fund research so that one day ALS will be treatable, not terminal. I accept the passing of the bucket from co-founder Pat […]
