Les Turner ALS Foundation

2023 ALS Walk For Life
2023-09-23 09:00 - 12:30 (America/Chicago) | Soldier Field, 1410 Museum Campus Dr, Chicago , IL, 60605, United States
Join us for the largest ALS gathering in the Midwest! This event includes a two-mile stroll along the lakefront in Chicago, finishing with a trip through historic Soldier Field. Walking in small groups and big teams, thousands come together to honor loved ones who are living with ALS and remember those we have lost.
Walk for the Les Turner ALS Foundation and join a community committed to finding a world free of ALS. The funds you raise go directly to our mission to provide the most comprehensive care and support to people living with ALS and their families so that they can confidently navigate the disease, and advance scientific research for the prevention, treatment, and cure of ALS.

Moving Forward After Loss – Spousal/ Partner Bereavement Group – Fall Session
2023-09-21 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago)
An open, supportive monthly bereavement group for spouses/partners who have 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: Thursday
Time: Select Thursdays Through October 26 6pm – 7:30 pm
Facilitator(s): Easton Stevenson, LCSW

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.*

Caregivers-Only Support Group
2023-09-21 15:00 - 16:00, 2023-08-17 15:00 - 16:00, 2023-07-20 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 3pm to 4pm
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.*

Chicagoland Support Group
2023-09-19 13:00 - 14:30, 2023-08-22 13:00 - 14:30, 2023-07-18 13:00 - 14:30 UTC
Meets the Third Tuesday of each month from 1 – 2:30pm
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.*

September ALS Learning Series: Nutrition: Journey from Beginning to End
2023-09-14 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
Join us for our September ALS Learning series with Dr. Edward Kasarskis where he will discuss the foundations for nutrition and hydration, constipation, and bowel management in ALS. With a Q&A to follow.
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 and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America for sponsoring this webinar.
Register today

Newly Diagnosed ALS Support Series
2023-09-13 12:00 - 13:00, 2023-08-23 12:00 - 13:00, 2023-08-22 08:00 - 17:00, 2023-08-09 12:00 - 13:00, 2023-07-26 12:00 - 13:00 (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.
This summer, the Les Turner ALS Foundation is launching the ALS Newly Diagnosed Support Series. Set in a relaxed and supportive virtual environment, this support series will allow you to connect with others who have received an ALS diagnosis within the last nine months.
The series will be facilitated by members of the Foundation’s Support Services team. Each session will address a topic and provide resources and education to consider. There will also be an opportunity to connect with others and ask questions.
Click here to register.

Navigating ALS Together Support Group
2023-09-09 10:30 - 12:00, 2023-08-12 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.*

Caregiver Only Support Group
2023-09-09 10:00 - 11:00, 2023-08-19 10:00 - 11:00, 2023-07-15 10:00 - 11:00 (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 Saturday of each month from 10 am to 11 am
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)
2023-08-28 18:00 - 19:30, 2023-07-24 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: Please RSVP here.
*Meetings will be held over Zoom and a Zoom invitation will be sent via email once you register for the group.*

Wheaton Support Group
2023-08-26 10:30 - 12:00 UTC
Meets the Fourth Saturday of each month from 10:30am-12:00pm
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.*

August ALS Learning Series: Supporting those Caring, Dying and Grieving
2023-08-17 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Join us Thursday Aug. 17 at 7:00pm CST for a webinar on ensuring accessible palliative care for people living with ALS/MND.

In this Learning Series webinar, Professor Samar Aoun will share key findings and advice on enabling social networks to support people living with ALS/MND, making palliative care more widely accessible. A particular focus will be on bereavement support and family caregiver support.

Professor Aoun is renowned for her expertise in public health palliative care and compassionate communities research, currently serving as Chair of MND Australia, MND Association of Western Australia, and working as the Perron Institute Research Chair in Palliative Care at The University of Western Australia.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights. Register now for the webinar and join us in advancing support and care for the ALS community.

Moving Forward After Loss – Spousal/ Partner Bereavement Group – Summer Session
2023-07-27 18:00 - 19:30, 2023-07-20 18:00 - 19:30, 2023-07-13 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago)
An open, supportive monthly bereavement group for spouses/partners who have 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: Thursday
Time: Select Thursdays Through July 27 6pm – 7:30 pm
Facilitator(s): Easton Stevenson, LCSW

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.*

Wheaton Support Group
2023-07-22 10:30 - 12:00 UTC
Meets the Fourth Saturday of each month from 10:30am-12:00pm
Facilitator(s): Julie Stowell, RN, CHPN and Elsa Cherwak, PT
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.*

Wheaton Support Group
2023-07-22 10:30 - 12:00 UTC | Marianjoy Rehab Center, 26 W 171 Roosevelt Road, Wheaton, IL, 60187, United States
*Meets the fourth Saturday of each month from 10:30am-12pm
Support group meetings are open to patients, family members, caregivers and friends. Each facility is wheelchair accessible and offers free parking. We request that you RSVP if you are planning to attend any of these meetings to assure there is availability. Alternatively, if no one responds, meetings will not be held.
Please contact Judy Richman at jrichman@lesturnerals.org or 847 679 3311 to RSVP, for more information on any support groups or meetings, or to be placed on our support group mailing list.
Facilitator(s): Ileane Mindel, RN and Elsa Cherwak, PT

ALS Learning Series - Clinical Research Updates on ALS
2023-07-20 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
Join us for our July ALS Learning Series with Dr. Senda Ajroud-Driss, neurologist and director of the Lois Insolia ALS Clinic at the Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine.
She’ll discuss updates in ALS clinical research, provide information on trials that are currently recruiting, and review inclusion criteria, with a Q & A to follow.
Dr. Senda Ajroud-Driss works with a patient at the Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine

Barrington Support Group
2023-07-15 10:30 - 12:00 UTC
