Your support of the Les Turner ALS Foundation has made an incredible difference in the lives of people with ALS, their families, their caregivers, and everyone who has lost someone to this disease.
Every time you made a donation, held a fundraiser, volunteered at an event, or raised awareness in your community, you helped ensure that people affected by ALS had the care and support they needed – and you gave them hope. Because we’ll never stop working toward a world free of ALS, and you won’t, either.
In 2024, this is how we turned your support into action.
Fund ALS Research
- We funded over $1 million in ALS research grants and clinic and endowment support at the Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine, featuring nine projects that build upon promising results and explore exciting new pathways.
- Scientists at the Les Turner ALS Center published innovative, high-impact research, including:
- We supported ten clinical trials and six observational studies at the Lois Insolia ALS Clinic at the Les Turner ALS Center, along with four expanded access programs.
- We partnered with the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital to launch the ACE initiative, which will accelerate enrollment and operational improvements in ALS clinical research.
Academic Honors
Dr. Senda Ajroud-Driss, director of the Lois Insolia ALS Clinic, was endowed as the Les Turner ALS Foundation / Herbert C. Wenske Professor of Neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Credit: Nathan Mandell
Enhance Quality of Life for People Living with ALS
- Our support services team provided 5,121 care coordination meetings, up 20% from 2023.
- Our online support groups welcomed an average of 66 participants per month, including new groups for young adults and people newly diagnosed with ALS.
- We provided $137,000 in financial support through 96 needs-based grants, helping people cover expenses like home modifications, respite care, and transportation.
- We loaned 103 items such as wheelchairs, ramps, assistive technology, and other essential equipment to help ease the burden on families dealing with the daily challenges of living with ALS.
- We launched new My ALS Decision Tool™ modules on Genetic Counseling and Testing for Family Members and Participating in Clinical Research to help people explore their treatment options and make important decisions about their care.
- We published a new guide on ALS & Participation in Clinical Research in English and Spanish, and completed translations of our other ALS guides into Spanish.
- We hosted 11 ALS Learning Series webinars with 1,789 views live and on YouTube, welcoming viewers from 49 states.
Online Reach Growth
We continue to see incredible growth in website views – more than doubling our total from just three years ago.
In 2024, our online ALS resources and events reached people in more than 178 countries.
Increase Our Leadership in the ALS Community
- We visited with congressional leaders to advocate for full funding of the ACT for ALS and critical programs such as the Department of Defense ALS Research Program, National Institutes of Health, and National ALS Registry and Biorepository.
- We worked with the Muscular Dystrophy Association to encourage support for the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which passed in May – the most significant legislation on air travel for people living with disabilities in 40 years.
- In June, we collaborated with End the Legacy, ALS Hope Foundation, and NEALS to host a summit for families affected by genetic ALS & FTD, helping to build connections and deepen understanding of the research process.
Together, we can do more in 2025
The Les Turner ALS Foundation exists to care for those affected by the disease, answer their questions, support them and their loved ones, and provide hope through scientific research at the Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine.
Please make a gift so we can continue to deliver that care and support. Together, we will create a world free of ALS.
