Greg's Dawg Walk

On August 3, 2023, we lost our father, husband, and best friend, Greg Hirsch, to a battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) at just 60 years old.

If you knew Greg, you knew he spent his days working hard for, and advocating on behalf of his family, friends, clients, and community. He enjoyed riding his bike at the beach, fishing with friends, watching his Georgia Bulldogs, tracking storm systems and, above all, spending time with his family. All of this changed dramatically in late summer of 2021, when he received the catastrophic news that, after 18 months of seemingly unrelated symptoms and no definitive answers, he had been diagnosed with ALS - a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that slowly robs one of the abilities to speak, walk, swallow and, eventually, breathe. And it did just that to Greg only two years after his diagnosis. ALS can strike anyone and, although there have been advancements in research, we still know neither what causes the disease nor how to cure or treat it with significant efficacy.

ALS affects people in many ways. In Greg’s case, the disease first affected his lungs and his right side, causing weakness specifically in his right hand and leg, as well as affecting the muscles around his vocal cords. Treatment began with the only FDA approved drug (at the time) and using a non-invasive ventilator at night. He voluntarily participated in a clinical trial – not with a promise of a cure, but with the hope of extending his life. The disease slowly progressed and eventually, Greg was unable to perform any task – big or small – on his own.

When Greg was diagnosed and ultimately passed from ALS, the first thing so many people around us asked is, “What can I do to help?” While Greg was able, he took action and championed the ALS research and awareness cause as his own. He joined advocates to help lobby lawmakers to support legislature designed to open the doors to ALS research, he spoke with senators and world-renowned doctors in the ALS and neurology communities, and he independently researched the disease to inform not only himself and our family, but others around him who cared so deeply about him. Like other families affected by ALS, our family is passionate about advocating for treatments and every possible resource for this exceptionally vicious, fatal disease that takes lives swiftly and brutally.

The ALS community is selfless and demonstrates its passion, even after loved ones die. During his life, Greg benefited from ALS United programs, including the invaluable use of a power wheelchair and a grant to help offset the costs of making our home wheelchair accessible. Since Greg’s passing, our family has participated in both caregiver and bereavement support groups. ALS United’s Georgia chapter is worthy of our support. Even if Greg will not benefit from future fundraising and development in research, someone else with ALS will. That is all that matters to us.

As we approach the first anniversary of Greg’s passing, we seek to continue Greg’s legacy as we lead a team to participate in in Walk ALS Georgia, which raises awareness and money to support Georgians living with ALS. We are walking so that one day, when a family hears the words, “Your loved one has ALS,” it will no longer mean that their days with their best friend will be cut short. Our family is walking so that people living with ALS today know that they are not alone; and people with family members of this catastrophic disease know that they are not alone, either. We are walking to assure that when an ALS patient in Georgia needs help, they will be able to get it from ALS United of Georgia, just like Greg did.

You may not know many other people with ALS, but you know our family. We ask for your support and consideration in joining us to make strides in the fight against ALS. Please consider a donation to support our team; and more importantly, please consider joining us on September 21, 2024. in Atlanta, for a “Dawg Walk” in Greg’s memory.

We can and will enhance the lives of people living with ALS, every day, until we find a cure. We must make ALS a treatable disease instead of a fatal one.