Navigating ALS Together Support Group
2024-09-28 10:30 - 11:30, 2024-10-26 10:30 - 11:30, 2024-11-23 10:30 - 11:30 UTC
Meets the Fourth Saturday of each month from 10:30 am-11:30 a.m.
Facilitator(s): Rochelle Walwer, LCSW
RSVP: Click here to register
*Meetings will be held over Zoom and a Zoom invitation will be sent via email once you register for the group.*

Newly Diagnosed ALS Support Group
2024-10-01 18:00 - 19:00, 2024-11-05 18:00 - 19:00, 2024-12-09 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago)
An ALS diagnosis is difficult to process. People often feel shocked and isolated by the news, whether the diagnosis was for themselves or a family member. It’s hard to move forward or figure out what comes next.
Set in a relaxed and supportive virtual environment, this support group will allow you to connect with others who have received an ALS diagnosis within the last six months.
First Tuesday of Each Month (Starting in October)
Time: 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. CST
Facilitator: Cara F. Gallagher, MA., LCPC
RSVP: Please register here.

Moving Forward After Loss: Spousal/ Partner Bereavement Group Fall Session
2024-10-01 18:00 - 19:30, 2024-10-08 18:00 - 19:30, 2024-10-15 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago)
A closed, six-week therapeutic bereavement group for spouses or partners of people who have died from ALS within the past six to nine months.
This group provides support, validation, and education in a supportive setting to those who are grieving the loss of their loved one.
Fall Session – Sept 17 – Oct 22, 2024
Visit our Calendar of Events for upcoming dates.
Time: 6 – 7:30 p.m. C.S.T

Facilitator: Easton Stevenson, LCSW

RSVP: Please register here. This group is invite only.

Navigating ALS Together Support Group
2024-10-12 10:30 - 12:00, 2024-11-09 10:30 - 12:00, 2024-12-14 10:30 - 12:00 UTC
Meets the Second Saturday of each month from 10:30am – 12:00 pm
Facilitator(s): Karen Raley Steffens, RN, CHPN, CCM
RSVP: Please email us at supportgroup@lesturnerals.org to RSVP
*Meetings will be held over Zoom and a Zoom invitation will be sent via email once you register for the group.*

Young Adult Support Group
2024-10-15 19:00 - 20:30, 2024-11-19 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
When a loved one is diagnosed with ALS, it can be overwhelming, especially for young adults who are navigating their own life milestones. It’s common to feel isolated or unsure of how to cope with the changes ALS brings to your family dynamic.

This supportive virtual group offers a space for young adults ages 18-30 to connect with peers who are experiencing similar challenges. In a relaxed and understanding environment, you can share experiences, explore feelings, and find support from others who truly understand what you’re going through.
Third Tuesday of Each Month (Beginning October 15)
Visit our Calendar of Events for upcoming dates.
Time: 7 – 8:30 p.m. CST
Facilitator: Michelle Shaker, LCSW
RSVP: Please register here.

ALS Caregivers Support Group
2024-10-17 15:00 - 16:00, 2024-11-21 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago)
The Caregivers Only group offers a time to talk about all the issues caregivers face in a non-judgmental, accepting atmosphere without their loved one, who is living with ALS, being present. Caregivers share a common experience; life has become so tumultuous that they often feel exhausted and overwhelmed, hungry for emotional comfort. Together, with the guidance and encouragement of a devoted facilitator, caregivers can find the strength to persevere. And, by feeling heard and understood, caregivers become more equipped to face another day with new coping strategies.
Time: Meets the Third Thursday of each month from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Facilitator: Anne Lidsky, PhD
RSVP: Please RSVP here.
*Meetings will be held over Zoom and a Zoom invitation will be sent via email once you register for the group.*

ALS Caregivers Support Group
2024-10-17 19:00 - 20:00, 2024-11-21 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
The Caregivers Only group offers a time to talk about all the issues caregivers face in a non-judgmental, accepting atmosphere without their loved one, who is living with ALS, being present. Caregivers share a common experience; life has become so tumultuous that they often feel exhausted and overwhelmed, hungry for emotional comfort. Together, with the guidance and encouragement of a devoted facilitator, caregivers can find the strength to persevere. And by feeling heard and understood, caregivers become more equipped to face another day with new coping strategies.
Time: Meets the Third Thursday of each month from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Facilitator: Anne Lidsky, PhD
RSVP: Please RSVP here.
*Meetings will be held over Zoom and a Zoom invitation will be sent via email once you register for the group.*

Navigating ALS Together Support Group
2024-10-21 14:00 - 15:00, 2024-11-18 14:00 - 15:00, 2024-12-16 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
Meets the Third Monday of each month from 2-3:15 p.m.
Facilitator: Anne Lidsky, PhD
RSVP: Please email us at supportgroup@lesturnerals.org to RSVP
*Meetings will be held over Zoom and a Zoom invitation will be sent via email once you register for the group.*

ALS Caregivers Support Group
2024-10-21 15:30 - 16:30, 2024-11-18 15:30 - 16:30, 2024-12-16 15:30 - 16:30 (America/Chicago)
The Caregivers Only group offers a time to talk about all the issues caregivers face in a non-judgmental, accepting atmosphere without their loved one, who is living with ALS, being present. Caregivers share a common experience; life has become so tumultuous that they often feel exhausted and overwhelmed, hungry for emotional comfort. Together, with the guidance and encouragement of a devoted facilitator, caregivers can find the strength to persevere. And, by feeling heard and understood, caregivers become more equipped to face another day with new coping strategies.
Time: Meets the Third Monday of each month from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Facilitator: Anne Lidsky, PhD
RSVP: Please RSVP here.
*Meetings will be held over Zoom and a Zoom invitation will be sent via email once you register for the group.*

Living After Loss (Bereavement Group)
2024-10-28 18:00 - 19:30, 2024-11-25 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago)
An open, supportive monthly bereavement group for anyone (family, friend, etc.) who has lost a loved one to ALS within the past year. This group will provide a place to connect with others who have experienced the loss of a loved one to ALS; stories will be told, feelings will be explored, and information will be shared about how to remain connected to the memory of a loved one.
Date: Fourth Monday
Time: 6pm – 7:30pm
Facilitator(s): Easton Stevenson, LCSW

RSVP: Email supportgroup@lesturnerals.org.
*Meetings will be held over Zoom and a Zoom invitation will be sent via email once you register for the group.*

Les Turner Symposium on ALS
2024-11-04 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)
Now in its 14th year, the Les Turner Symposium on ALS will return to Chicago this fall.
Join virtually or in person as leading ALS researchers, clinicians, advocates, and people living with ALS gather to discuss the latest research and perspectives on ALS.
It’s an opportunity to ask questions, share insights, and engage with people striving to deliver the best possible ALS care — and it’s a window into the future of treatment of the disease.
Feinberg Pavilion
Feinberg Krumlovsky Atrium
251 E Huron St. 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60611

November ALS Learning Series
2024-11-14 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
Stitching Strength: What I’ve learned about hope in ALS and weaving that into my practice
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 10:00 a.m., CST
Webinar Link for Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vs8Q-VTUSTGCd0r5XmWiaQ
About the Program
Join us for our November ALS Learning Series about hope with Dr. Richard Bedlack. In this talk, Dr. Bedlack will review what he has learned about hope in health and diseases, including ALS.  He’ll talk about why it matters, where it comes from, what clinicians do to boost and to suppress it, and how he is trying to optimize it in his own clinic.
The Les Turner ALS Foundation is proud to offer this webinar at no cost to the ALS community. Thank you to the Gilbert & Jacqueline Fern Foundation & Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America for sponsoring this webinar.
About the Speaker: Richard Bedlack, MD, PhD
Richard Bedlack, MD, PhD
Stewart, Hughes, and Wendt Distinguished Professor of ALS at Duke
Director of the Duke ALS Clinic

Dr. Richard Bedlack grew up in a small town in central Connecticut. He went to college at William and Mary in Virginia, then back to Connecticut for an MD and Ph.D. in Neuroscience at UConn. Finally, he came to Duke where he completed his medicine internship, neurology residency, neuromuscular fellowship, and Masters in Clinical Research Science. He is currently the Stewart, Hughes, and Wendt Distinguished Professor of ALS at Duke and Director of the Duke ALS Clinic. He has won awards for teaching and patient care, received ALS research grants, participated in ALS clinical trials, and published more than 160 ALS articles.  He is the leader of the international ALSUntangled program which utilizes social networking to investigate alternative and off-label treatment options for patients with ALS, and leader of the ALS Reversals program which attempts to understand why some people with ALS recover from it, and to make this happen more often. He lives in Durham, North Carolina with his wife Shelly, two mischievous cats, and a closet full of eye-catching blazers.

2024 All in For ALS Casino Night
2024-11-23 19:00 - 23:00 (America/Chicago)
Come and join the fun at the
18th Annual All In For ALS Casino Night
Saturday, November 23rd at the East Bank Club
Tickets will be available at the door on event night
Our signature casino night event features exciting games like blackjack, roulette, and craps all live in person. Guests can try their luck at the tables, bid on auction items, enjoy tasty appetizers, and snap pictures in the photo opportunity, all while joining other young professionals to show their support for the Les Turner ALS Foundation, the leader in comprehensive ALS care in Chicagoland.
Register

Westmont Craft Fair
2024-12-07 09:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago)
Check out this craft fair in Westmont where one of our supporters, Molly, will sell photographs her dad took. He had ALS from 1996-2002. Molly was his nurse, caring for him as they traveled and her dad took pictures.
