When someone you love gets diagnosed with ALS, the first thing you ask is what can I do to help? And for those who have already lost a loved one to ALS, you may be asking yourself how can I honor my loved one? For many people like me, the answer is to participate in Walk ALS Georgia, which raises awareness and money to support Georgians living with ALS.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neuromuscular disease that slowly robs a person of the ability to walk, speak, swallow, and breathe. It can strike anyone and, although there has been a lot of advancements in ALS research, we still don’t know what causes it. An ALS diagnosis is fatal because there is no cure.

I am walking in memory of my father, Mickey "Shy Tuna" Johnston. Mickey lived with ALS for 9 years with a slow progression, and never let it hold him back. “About a year into my journey with ALS, we realized how slow progressing my ALS was. I was very grateful and felt like I wanted to give back to the ALS community somehow,” Mickey said. He was a loving and dedicated husband, father, grandfather, and friend. Mickey never met a stranger and loved spreading joy across the ALS community. He was able to touch so many lives by establishing the Shy-Dye Love Ministry, where he sent tye-dye shirts to over 750 people who live with ALS all over the world. Team Shy Tuna is ready to continue on Mickey's legacy of fundraising and advocating for ALS awareness. 

I am walking so that, one day, when Georgians hear the words, “You have ALS,” it will no longer mean that they likely will die within two to five years. I am walking so that Georgians living with ALS today know that they are not alone. I’m walking to assure that when they need help, they will be able to get it from ALS United of Georgia. I am walking to give them hope.

You may not know anyone with ALS, but you do know me, and I am asking for your support. Will you please consider joining me to make strides in the fight against ALS? You can join our team or make a gift to support our team. Either way, with your help, we can enhance the lives of people living with ALS, every day until we find a cure.