Dear Friends and Family

As many of you know, I have been living with ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease since my symptoms began in early 2010. It's now been three years since this all began, and I have learned a lot about myself, and the incredible people who have been right beside me.

When it began my fingers were twitching and losing strength, and you helped me open my water bottles. When my right leg started to drag, you laughed with me, and told me it was time to give up wearing heels. When I fell and broke my wrist, you started driving me to work, bought me a cane, and eventually a scooter to get around safely. When my speech began to slur, and it strained me to talk, you spoke for me. When I received my diagnosis, you held me in your arms and cried with me.

When I could not come to work, you visited me, and when I could not climb down the stairs of my home you helped move me to a handicap accessible home. You walked alongside my husband and I in walkathons, and many of you cheered, walked, and ran with us in my first marathon!

Together, with your help we raised over 50,000 dollars for research and patient care in the last two years! An unbelievable accomplishment, that our patient community recognizes with immeasurable gratitude. I see first hand the benefits of your fund raising efforts right in our local support group, and in the services provided to my family from the Les Turner ALS Foundation.

In a few short weeks we will head back to New Jersey for our second marathon and we are not nearly as close to our goal as last year, yet every month there are more families coming to the support groups for help! Please share our story with your Facebook friends and family members. I'm typing this blog because I am fortunate enough to have technology that allows me to communicate with you even though I have lost my speech and the use of my arms and hands. Help us provide this and other needed equipment and services to others living with ALS!  Click the link above to connect to our website and help or share my blog through Facebook. Please don't let this opportunity pass, someone is diagnosed with this disease every ninety minutes, help us stop it!
Thank you,
dd