LOS ANGELES, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — May is ALS Awareness Month, and the ALS Network is committed to raising awareness and understanding of the devastating disease that has no known cure. This month, we highlight the power of community and invite everyone to explore the many ways to get involved, give back, and learn more.
“We are urgently focused on advancing the three pillars of our mission: local care, global research, and nationwide advocacy,” said Sheri Strahl, MPH, MBA, president and CEO of the ALS Network. “ALS Awareness Month is a time to shine a light on how we can all make an impact on the lives of people living with ALS and move closer to finding effective prevention strategies, treatments, and cures.”
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease), is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. People with ALS lose the ability to walk, speak, and eventually, breathe. The average life expectancy of a person with ALS is two to five years from diagnosis. ALS is not contagious and does not discriminate; however, those who have served in any branch of the military are diagnosed with ALS nearly twice as often as the general population. The cost of care for a person with ALS is estimated to be more than $250,000 annually. The disease is fatal and there is currently no known cure.
The ALS Network serves the largest local ALS patient population in the nation – supporting more than 2600 people living with the disease across California and Hawaii, along with their families. The organization provides access to quality care, shepards state and national legislative priorities, and funds global research projects to improve health outcomes for those living with ALS and to discover better prevention strategies, treatments and an eventual cure.
“The ALS Network has a lot of resources, and meeting other people with ALS, their caregivers, and their loved ones has been important to me and to my family,” said David Buseck, board member and person with ALS. “To be able to learn from them and have that connection with other people who are living with this disease is very helpful.”
The ALS Network encourages people who want to help fight ALS and support families living with the disease to get involved by participating in local events, becoming an advocate, or donating to ALS research to find a cure.
For more information about ALS and the ALS Network please visit our website at alsnetwork.org or email us at [email protected]. You can also find us on social media at @yourALSnetwork. For those interested, Sheri Strahl, the president and CEO of the ALS Network, is available for interviews to further discuss these initiatives and the importance of the ALS community having access to essential resources and care despite recent federal funding cuts.
About The ALS Network
The mission of the ALS Network is to partner with the ALS community as we drive the discovery of prevention strategies, treatments, and cures for ALS; provide access to quality care and connection; and promote initiatives to improve health outcomes. Everything we do advances the search for prevention strategies, effective treatments, and cures for ALS.
Media Contact: (415) 967-2572
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SOURCE ALS Network
