Wondering what this is all about? Click here to read an intro letter about our efforts for ALS Awareness Month, then scroll down to read all past posts.
Every Tuesday in May, we'll post facts about or news on ALS. Please consider sharing with family and friends via Facebook or Twitter, or bookmarking this page to use in the future. Along with research and patient services, education and awareness is a key part of the Les Turner ALS Foundation's mission. We believe that education leads to action.
Approximately 10 percent of all ALS cases are inherited forms, known as "familial ALS." Several genes have been identified that cause familial ALS. The remaining 90 percent of cases are called "sporadic ALS." In 2011, researchers, funded in part by the Les Turner ALS Foundation, identified a common cause of all forms of ALS: a broken-down protein "recycling system" in the neurons of the spinal cord and brain. Additional research is needed to determine how best to treat this faulty pathway.
Every Monday in May, we'll post a story from one of our patients, families, medical professionals, researchers and supporters. Check out the story, and then consider how you might get involved. Also, be sure to share with family and friends via Facebook or Twitter.
Since Bill was diagnosed with ALS, he and his wife, Renee, have been a regular presence at the Les Turner ALS Foundation Skokie Support Group. Read our latest newsletter to learn how their spirit and dedication inspires the group, and how the spirit and dedication of the group inspires them! Interested in joining a support group in your neighborhood? Visit our support group page to learn about the locations, date and times of all our groups.
Tag Days drives happen all across the Chicago area every weekend in May! On Fridays, we'll post a look ahead to that weekend's drives. If you're in the neighborhood, be on the lookout for volunteers in bright yellow vests and consider donating! Also, be sure to share with family and friends via Facebook or Twitter, so they too can participate. For more information on Tag Days, please visit our Tag Days page.
We're hoping to build on last weekend's momentum with a slate of Tag Days drives for this second weekend in May! Look for volunteers out this weekend in the following communities:
Every Thursday in May, we'll post a fact about or news from the Les Turner ALS Foundation. Please consider sharing with family and friends via Facebook or Twitter, or bookmarking this page to use in the future. The information will include some of the milestones from our history, and many of the ways that your donations are helping further the fight against ALS.
The Les Turner/Lois Insolia ALS Center at Northwestern in Chicago was established in 1986. At the Center, trained specialists use a team approach to provide comprehensive treatment. Some of the specialized services offered to patients include communication devices or durable medical equipment from our equipment bank, mobility assistance, a patient resource guide, ventilation and feeding tube DVDs for reference, the opportunity to schedule home visits with an ALS nurse consultant or social worker, transportation to and from the clinic visit if needed, and free parking for patients during their appointment.
The Les Turner/Lois Insolia ALS Center is part of Northwestern's Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology. Northwestern was recently ranked by U.S. News as one of the top 15 hospitals nationwide for neurology and neurosurgery, making it the top-ranked Chicagoland hospital in this specialty. Northwestern and the Les Turner ALS Foundation are proud to be a part of bringing world class care to people living with ALS in the Chicago and surrounding areas.
Every Wednesday in May, we'll post different ways to get involved in the fight against ALS. Please consider sharing with family and friends via Facebook or Twitter, or bookmarking this page to use in the future. Whatever your age, your interests, your skills or your strengths, there is a way for you to contribute!
Did you know that registration for the 2012 ALS Walk4Life is already open? This year's Walk4Life will be larger than ever, with a new date--September 22--and a new location: Soldier Field!
Every Tuesday in May, we'll post facts about or news on ALS. Please consider sharing with family and friends via Facebook or Twitter, or bookmarking this page to use in the future. Along with research and patient services, education and awareness is a key part of the Les Turner ALS Foundation's mission. We believe that education leads to action.
In people with ALS, motor neurons stop working and die, causing loss of voluntary movement and muscle functions, such as speaking, swallowing, and breathing. Average lifespan is three to five years from diagnosis, and though treatment of symptoms often improves quality of life, it does little to extend life and there is no cure for ALS.
Every Monday in May, we'll post a story from one of our patients, families, medical professionals, researchers and supporters. Check out the story, and then consider how you might get involved. Also, be sure to share with family and friends via Facebook or Twitter.
On May 6, Chris and Denise completed the New Jersey Marathon, a journey several years in the making. They also surpassed their goal of raising $26,200 on behalf of the Foundation. Read our latest newsletter to learn how their incredible idea came out, and visit the New Jersey Marathon page in the coming days as we'll be posting pictures and stories. If you're a runner, consider joining one of our Run4ALS teams for a future race.
Tag Days drives happen all across the Chicago area every weekend in May! On Fridays, we'll post a look ahead to that weekend's drives. If you're in the neighborhood, be on the lookout for volunteers in bright yellow vests and consider donating! Also, be sure to share with family and friends via Facebook or Twitter, so they too can participate. For more information on Tag Days, please visit our Tag Days page.
It's the first weekend in May, and our Tag Days drives will get off to a great start! Look for volunteers out this weekend in the following communities:
Every Thursday in May, we'll post a fact about or news from the Les Turner ALS Foundation. Please consider sharing with family and friends via Facebook or Twitter, or bookmarking this page to use in the future. The information will include some of the milestones from our history, and many of the ways that your donations are helping further the fight against ALS.
The first Les Turner ALS Research Laboratory was dedicated at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in 1979. Dr. Teepu Siddique became the director of this lab in 1991, and the lab was re-dedicated in 1992 when it moved to a new location at Northwestern. Both the research space and the research staff quadrupled as a result of this move. In 2008, a second Les Turner ALS Research Laboratory was opened. Dr. P. Hande Ozdinler has directed this lab since its inception.
Since 1979, our generous supporters have helped us contribute tens of millions of dollars to top-notch, world-changing ALS research.
Every Wednesday in May, we'll post different ways to get involved in the fight against ALS. Please consider sharing with family and friends via Facebook or Twitter, or bookmarking this page to use in the future. Whatever your age, your interests, your skills or your strengths, there is a way for you to contribute!
Get active! Spring and summer are the perfect time to be out and about.
Every Tuesday in May, we'll post facts about or news on ALS. Please consider sharing with family and friends via Facebook or Twitter, or bookmarking this page to use in the future. Along with research and patient services, education and awareness is a key part of the Les Turner ALS Foundation's mission. We believe that education leads to action.
ALS occurs throughout the world regardless of race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. It is most common between 40 and 70 years of age, although it can strike at any age. In the U.S., someone is diagnosed every 90 minutes, and 35,000 people are living with ALS at any given time.
