Les Turner ALS Foundation

Navigating ALS Together Support Group
2025-01-20 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
2025-01-20 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.*

Young Adult Support Group
2025-01-21 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-02-18 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-03-18 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.

Navigating ALS Together Support Group
2025-01-25 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.*

Living After Loss Bereavement Group
2025-01-27 18:00 - 19:30, 2025-02-24 18:00 - 19:30, 2025-03-24 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | http://events.lesturnerals.org/site/Survey;jsessionid=00000000.app20047b?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=3042&_gl=1*ej00s3*_gcl_au*NDQ2NjcxNjEuMTczNDUzNzg0OA..*_ga*MTQ0NjA1MDkuMTczNDUzNzg0OA..*_ga_JGQNCMRW7P*MTczNjk2MDMzNS4yNS4xLjE3MzY5NjA0MzQuMjMuMC4w&NONCE_TOKEN=[REDACTED]
Living After Loss Bereavement Group- 4th Monday of the month
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
An open, supportive monthly bereavement group for anyone who has lost a family member, friend, or a loved one to ALS. This group will provide a place to connect with others who have experienced a loss.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.

Moving Forward After Loss Spousal/Partner Bereavement Group Winter Session
2025-01-28 18:00 - 19:30, 2025-02-04 18:00 - 19:30, 2025-02-11 18:00 - 19:30, 2025-02-18 18:00 - 19:30, 2025-02-25 18:00 - 19:30, 2025-03-04 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | http://events.lesturnerals.org/site/Survey;jsessionid=00000000.app20047b?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=3042&_gl=1*ej00s3*_gcl_au*NDQ2NjcxNjEuMTczNDUzNzg0OA..*_ga*MTQ0NjA1MDkuMTczNDUzNzg0OA..*_ga_JGQNCMRW7P*MTczNjk2MDMzNS4yNS4xLjE3MzY5NjA0MzQuMjMuMC4w&NONCE_TOKEN=[REDACTED]
Moving Forward After Loss Spousal/Partner Bereavement Group –
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.
Winter 2025 session January 28 – March 4

Spring 2025- Tuesday April 29, 2025 to Tuesday June 3, 2025 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Fall 2025- Tuesday September 16, 2025 – Tuesday October 21, 2025 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Newly Diagnosed ALS Support Group
2025-02-04 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-03-04 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-04-01 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: Email supportgroup@lesturnerals.org.

February Learning Series: Family Caregivers: Angels in Agony
2025-02-06 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
Every caregiver — and every caregiving journey — is unique, but there are some commonalities among caregivers of family members living with ALS. Most say caregiving is at the same time challenging, exhausting, rewarding, and full of unexpected emotions. Linda Levine is a caregiver for her husband David Buseck, a person with ALS. Together they share how they try daily to strike a balance between stepping up for the needs of the other while maintaining their own identities and wellness. Join us as they share tools illustrated by real life, relatable examples that will help caregivers feel better, rather than bitter, at the end of the day.

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, Biogen, & Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America for sponsoring this webinar.
About the Speakers
Linda Levine, M.Ed, trained as a Recreational Therapist and educator. She has applied those skills to help people find fulfilling lives using wheelchairs, communication devices, and adaptive equipment. She taught for 30 years at San Jose State University, including courses on diverse topics such as creating a meaningful life, creativity, identity, play, grief and loss. As a life coach, Linda specializes in helping people move through change, whether that is the loss of a loved one, retirement, career challenges, or just about anything else. In her role as a motivational speaker, she speaks about Caregiving, Team-building, Grief and even Clumsy Sex and ALS. Linda has a gift for taking on tough topics with sensitivity and refreshing humor.

David Buseck, MS, is a retired engineer who worked with radiation oncology equipment. He was diagnosed with ALS in 2019. He is a board member with the ALS Network and is active in various forms of ALS advocacy. He enjoys playing flute, reading, traveling, and writing. In 2024, he published Paris: City of Cultures, which is a book with wheelchair accessible walking tours through beautiful Parisian neighborhoods. He challenges himself to find adaptations and workarounds to continue his activities as much as possible. He and Linda live in San Jose, CA. Together, they call themselves, “Team Tortoise” because they are slower than before but they keep trying new and different ways to get to where they want to go.

Navigating ALS Together
2025-02-15 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-03-03 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago)
These support groups are designed for people and families living with ALS. The groups are open and ongoing, and you may join at any time. It can be helpful for attendees to find a support system outside their immediate circle, make connections with others, and discover a place to gain additional emotional support about ALS and practical guidance for their unique, personal circumstances.
Register here: http://events.lesturnerals.org/site/Survey;jsessionid=00000000.app20047b?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=3042&_gl=1*ej00s3*_gcl_au*NDQ2NjcxNjEuMTczNDUzNzg0OA..*_ga*MTQ0NjA1MDkuMTczNDUzNzg0OA..*_ga_JGQNCMRW7P*MTczNjk2MDMzNS4yNS4xLjE3MzY5NjA0MzQuMjMuMC4w&NONCE_TOKEN=[REDACTED]

ALS Caregivers Support Group
2025-03-03 15:30 - 16:30, 2025-04-07 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
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
2025-03-20 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 Thursday of each month from 3:30-4:30
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
2025-03-20 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: 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.*

ALS Caregivers Support Group Thursday Nights
2025-03-20 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
2025-03-22 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-04-07 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago)
These support groups are designed for people and families living with ALS. The groups are open and ongoing, and you may join at any time. It can be helpful for attendees to find a support system outside their immediate circle, make connections with others, and discover a place to gain additional emotional support about ALS and practical guidance for their unique, personal circumstances.
Register here

March ALS Learning Series Webinar : Observational Studies Help in the Quest for Effective ALS Therapies
2025-03-31 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
Monday, March 31, at 12 CST
About the Program: In this talk Dr. Berry will discuss the aims, design considerations, and implementation of observational studies, highlighting the many ways observational studies hastened drug development and can create resources that aid the ALS community in the present and for years to come.
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, Biogen, & Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America for sponsoring this webinar.
About the Speaker: James D. Berry, MD, MPH
Winthrop Family Scholar in ALS Sciences
Averill Healey Endowed Chair in ALS
Chief of the MGH Division of ALS and Motor Neuron Diseases
Dr. Berry leads the Massachusetts General Hospital Division of ALS and Motor Neuron Diseases. He is an active clinician and ALS clinical researcher, with a focus on biomarker development and ALS clinical trial methodology. He oversees a large biorepository, collecting, storing and sharing blood, DNA, and spinal fluid and accompanying patient information, which allows researchers around the globe to conduct critical research identifying biomarkers of ALS and developing novel therapeutics. He also leads projects developing digital endpoints for ALS trials that will help increase the objective data for trials while decreasing the burden on trial participants. Finally, he is deeply committed to developing novel therapeutics by translating discoveries in the lab into clinical trials and leading clinical trials that will transform our approach to care in ALS.
Dr. Berry also oversees and leads out the clinic at the Healey Center for ALS, caring for patients and helping to build and lead the multidisciplinary care team. He helped found the Telemedicine for People with ALS (TelePALS) program, the ALS House Call Program and the Parenting at a Challenging Time (PACT) programs within the clinic.

2025 Hope Through Caring Gala
2025-04-05
This year’s annual Hope Through Caring Gala will be held on Saturday April 5th. Stay tuned for more info.
