October 2025 Foundation eNews - Les Turner ALS Foundation

A day of fun, community, and hope

We are overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone who joined us at the 2025 annual Les Turner ALS Walk for Life! On a perfect fall day at Soldier Field, more than 1,800 participants across 179 teams came together in honor of loved ones and raised over $643,000—and counting.

The Walk was filled with powerful moments, from the March of Faces to music and community along the Chicago lakefront. A special highlight was a video message from Pope Leo XIV, reminding us that we walk not only for today, but for a future free from ALS.

Check out all the pictures from the walk on our Flickr page, linked here.

Thank you for being part of this extraordinary day. Your dedication fuels vital care, support, and research—and brings hope to families across our community.

If you didn’t get the chance to donate, we are accepting donations toward the walk until the end of the year. Click the link below:

Illinois advocacy win: Complex Rehab Tech Act (HB 3677)

We are proud to share an important advocacy victory: Illinois HB 3677 has been signed into law. This legislation ensures lifetime wheelchair repair services for people who rely on complex rehab technology and eliminates insurance barriers to timely, medically necessary repairs. The result: safer mobility, fewer delays, and greater independence for people living with ALS in Illinois.

“Wheelchair repairs are not optional,” said Lauren Webb, Chief Advocacy and Outreach Officer. “HB 3677 makes sure people get the fixes they need in time to make it to appointments and be there for family events.”

This win demonstrates the power of advocacy to create real change for families facing ALS.

Learn more about becoming an advocate, click this link.

Supporting the cause, your own way!

Looking for a meaningful way to make a difference? With Fundraise Your Way, you can support the Les Turner ALS Foundation in whatever way inspires you most. Celebrate a birthday, organize a golf outing, host a dinner, or take on a personal challenge—your passion can fuel progress against ALS. Bryan Caspersen and his family fundraise through an annual carwash they run out of their auto repair shop in Evanston.

We’ll give you the tools, tips, and online fundraising page you need to make your fundraiser a success. Want something bigger? Our team will help you plan your own event. Or, if you’d rather keep it simple, join one of our existing events and we’ll do the heavy lifting.

No idea is too small—every effort counts in the fight against ALS.

Ready to get started? Click this link to learn more.

Drs. Senda Ajroud-Driss and Hande Ozdinler at the Les Turner Symposium on ALS

Hande Ozdinler, PhD, will present Gene Therapy Approaches. Dr. Ozdinler is an associate professor in the Department of Neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a faculty member of the Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, the Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine, the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease Center, and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Research Center.

Senda Ajroud-Driss, MD, will lead a Q&A session with Dr. Don Cleveland. Dr. Ajroud-Driss is the Director of the Lois Insolia ALS Clinic and the Les Turner ALS Foundation/Herbert C. Wenske Professor in Neurology. She brings deep expertise in neuromuscular disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), amyloid neuropathy, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, limb girdle muscular dystrophy, and myasthenia gravis.

Learn more about these speakers and the full symposium program.

Guide Spotlight: ALS & Home Modifications

Making your home safer and easier to navigate can reduce fatigue and support independence for people living with ALS. Start with simple wins: lever door handles, brighter hallway lighting, non-slip mats, and clearing pathways.

If you’re planning bigger changes, aim for single-level living, wider doorways (32–36”), step-free entry, and a bathroom with a curbless shower, grab bars, and a handheld showerhead. An occupational therapist can help prioritize what matters now and what you may need next, so you avoid costly, unnecessary work.

Need help getting started? Our guide breaks down quick fixes, must-do renovations, and budget-savvy options—plus how to work with contractors using accessibility best practices.

Read the guide here, available in both English and Spanish.

In Our Thoughts

We offer our sincere condolences to all those who have lost a loved one to ALS. Today, and every day, we honor and remember them.

Gaurang Dave

We invite you to share a tribute—whether a story, memory, or photo— to our Celebration of Life memorial wall, keeping the legacy of your loved one alive and reminding others they are never forgotten.

Support ALS Care and Research

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.