When Wilma Vicari was diagnosed with ALS in the summer of 2025, she didn’t sink into despair. Instead, she turned to her doctor at Northwestern Medicine and said something that left him stunned. Her granddaughter, Lea Vicari, remembers it well. …
May 2026 Foundation eNews
Help us share stories from our community This May, we’re continuing to illuminate the realities of the disease to foster deeper understanding and spark change. Throughout ALS Awareness Month, the focus is on the financial impact, the diagnostic journey, the …
ALS is driven by a domino‑like chain reaction that begins in nerve cells
Study links TDP‑43 pathology to inflammation, disease progression and survival across ALS subtypes. Study used cutting-edge techniques to analyze blood, spinal cord samples from hundreds of patients Immune signatures differ by ALS type (genetic or non-genetic), disease stage, speed of …
Clinical trials test potential new gene therapies for inherited ALS
As director of the clinical research program at the Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine, Senda Ajroud-Driss has seen her share of potential ALS therapies. Though many drugs have not made it past clinical trials, recent advances have given …
Hope on the baseball diamond: Marc Davidson’s Journey to Lou Gehrig Day
On Lou Gehrig Day, 40-year-old Naperville resident Marc Davidson will take the field at the Rate to deliver the game ball for the Chicago White Sox. For Marc, a Chicago-area native diagnosed with ALS this past December, the moment is …
May 2026 Foundation eNews
Voices and visions for ALS Awareness Month This May, we’re highlighting the profound realities of the disease to foster deeper understanding and drive meaningful change. Throughout the month, we’re focusing on the significant financial impact, the complex diagnostic journey, the …
