My husband, Fred Pioso, lost his five-year battle with ALS on August 27, 2007. It is hard to believe that 19 years have passed. So much has changed in our lives during that time, but the devastation and impact of this disease remain with our family today.

This year marks our 24th year participating in Walk ALS Georgia, and we continue to walk and raise money because we know firsthand just how much the support of the ALS Association can mean to a family facing this devastating disease. We also continue because ALS still has no cure, and there are families receiving this diagnosis today who need the same help and hope that our family needed all those years ago.

During Fred's illness, the ALS Association provided our family with equipment and support that allowed him to remain as independent and involved in our lives as possible. They provided a motorized wheelchair so he could continue going places with us and, eventually, simply move from room to room. They gave us a stair lift so he could continue to enjoy the comfort of sleeping in his own bed. As the disease progressed and Fred lost his ability to speak, they provided an eye activated computer that allowed him to continue communicating with us.

All of this equipment was provided to our family at absolutely no cost.

Those things may sound like pieces of equipment, but to our family they meant so much more. They gave Fred independence, dignity, and the ability to remain an active participant in our family for as long as possible. During one of the most difficult times in our lives, the ALS Association made things just a little bit easier, and we have never forgotten what that meant to us.

Brittany and Brandon were young when they lost their dad, and they saw firsthand how much the ALS Association helped him throughout his illness. Today, Brandon is building a successful career with Deloitte in Atlanta, and Brittany is nearing the completion of her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Watching them grow into the adults they have become makes me incredibly proud, but it is also a constant reminder of how much Fred has missed. He didn't get to see them graduate, begin their careers, or become the people they are today. As Brittany gets closer to earning her PhD and Brandon continues to build his life and career, I can't help but think about how proud their dad would be of both of them. There have been so many milestones over the past 19 years when we have wished he could be there, and there will be so many more.

That is a large part of why we continue to do this year after year.

We cannot change what ALS took from our family, but we can do everything we can to help other families facing this disease. We raise money so another family can receive the wheelchair, communication device, home equipment, guidance, and support they desperately need. We raise money to fund research and the continued search for better treatments and, ultimately, a cure. And we raise money with the hope that someday another family will not have to experience the loss that ours did.

After 24 years of walking, I am incredibly grateful for the family and friends who continue to support us. Many of you have donated year after year, walked alongside us, shared our fundraising page, or simply remembered Fred and our family. Please know that I never take that support for granted. Every donation, regardless of the amount, helps another family affected by ALS and brings us one step closer to a future without this disease.

You may not know someone with ALS, but you know me. You know my children. And through us, you know Fred's story.

I hope you will consider supporting us again this year by making a donation or joining our team for Walk ALS Georgia. With your help, we can continue to make a difference in the lives of people living with ALS today while fighting for a future when no family has to lose someone they love to this disease.

Thank you, as always, for remembering Fred, for supporting Brittany and Brandon and me, and for continuing to stand with us in the fight against ALS.