Over 30,000 Americas have the disease at any given time. Most commonly, ALS strikes people between the ages of 40 and 70. ALS is not contageous, but it can strike anyone. The onset of ALS is insidious with muscle weakness or stifness, and eventually speech, swallowing and later breathing generally follows.
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.
There is NO cure, but science is in the process to accelerate the benefits of stem-cells to help regrow motor neurons. Awareness and fund raising well help continue research!!
There are also significant costs for medical care, equipment and home health caregiving. Another reason for the fund raising.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
What's the fight?
Learn More
ALS Association: www.alsa.org
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics: www.brainstorm-cell.com
What is ALS?
How do you get ALS?
