WHAT IS ALS?

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, which is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease is a crippling disease that effects the nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. ALS as it progresses causes weakness, deterioration and paralysis of the muscles of the limbs, as well as those that control vital functions such as speech, swallowing, and even breathing. There is no cure, and it is terminal. The cost of caring for an ALS victim can be $250,000 per year as the disease progresses. Most commonly, the disease strikes people between the ages of 40 and 70, and there’s roughly 5,600 cases diagnosed per year.