When my brother-in-law, Randy Lee, began having symptoms consistent with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) at age 42, I set out to learn all I could about this disease. Here?s what I discovered:

- ALS is an incurable disease. There are treatments that may slow its progression, but there is no cure. 

- ALS is more prevalent in men than women, and is usually diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 70, but ALS can strike victims in their twenties, or in their eighties. 

- ALS usually begins with muscle weakness that progresses, eventually robbing people of their ability to walk, talk, and breathe.  The average life expectancy for someone diagnosed with ALS is 2-5 years, but this can vary greatly. About 10% of those diagnosed with ALS can live ten years. 

- Every 90 minutes someone is diagnosed with ALS. And, every 90 minutes, someone dies of ALS. 

Randy suffered with ALS for 12 years before it took his life in 2016. That first year after he left us, to help manage our helplessness and grief, we decided to participate in the Walk to Defeat ALS. We gathered on a Saturday morning with hundreds of other Georgians, some who were in their own battle with ALS, and many who loved someone who had suffered, or was suffering with ALS. That first Saturday was hard. Our grief was raw. Our tears were for ourselves, and for those we met, some who were just taking their first steps onto the road we had travelled. That was almost ten years ago. 

This year will be our tenth walk. Yes, we walk ?Remembering Randy? (our team name). But we also walk to say to those just embarking on this arduous journey, ?You are not alone. We see you. We hurt for you. We hope for a cure with you.? And, we walk to raise awareness of this disease, and to raise money for those working to find a cure for ALS. We walk for those care givers offering support services. We walk for those who suffer, and we walk with their families. We walk because we are able to. We walk because we need to. We walk to hold on to the hope that we have not suffered loss in vain. 

You may not know anyone with ALS, but you do know me. Will you please consider joining me to help make strides in the fight against ALS? You can join our team and walk with us, or you can follow this link to make a tax deductible gift to ALS United of Georgia in support of our team. Either way, with your help, we can enhance the lives of people living with ALS, every day until we find a cure.