What is ALS?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease, or motor neuron disease) is an unrelenting and terminal disease of progressive paralysis that eventually leads to the loss of the ability to move, speak, and breathe.

						Any person has a 1 in 300 chance of receiving an ALS diagnosis in their lifetime. Anyone can develop ALS regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, geography, or race —although it most often affects people between the ages of 40 and 60.
						ALS affects individuals and families in the prime of their lives.
						Each year, approximately 1,000 Canadians will learn that they have ALS, and another 1,000 Canadians will die from the disease.
						Four out of five people diagnosed with ALS will die within five years.
						There is no cure for ALS and few treatment options for most people living with the disease.
						It can cost upwards of $150,000 to $250,000 to live with ALS, according to Canadian researchers in 2015. This calculation includes loss of income, modifications to the home, equipment, and additional caregiving support. Equipment shouldn’t be an additional expense.  Funds raised help ensure sustainable investments in community-based support services for people and families living with ALS in Ontario, provincial and federal advocacy initiatives, and in the most promising ALS research in Canada.

Click here to download the ALS Quick Facts.

ALS is a devastating disease that causes gradual paralysis and has no cure. We need your help to give hope for a world free of ALS.