Tuesday, September 10, 2013

14 September, 2013, Walk to Defeat ALS


The Walk to Defeat ALS will be held this year, on Saturday, 14 September, 2013. Registration begins at 11:00 am and the Walk begins at 12:00 pm. The venue is the Oregon State Capitol grounds.

The Walk is held by the SW Washington and Oregon chapter of the ALS Association. 

My connection to this cause is through my friend, Linda Batty. Linda's sister Laurie died seven years ago because of ALS. Laurie's life and death continue to impact and inspire her loved ones and many others. Lind and Laurie's story can be found here .

Efforts toward finding a cure continue with new discoveries and understanding of ALS. But the cure continues to be elusive, and ALS continues to snuff out lives, and challenge families to provide more assistance, funds and most of all, courage.

I have been late this year, due to personal reasons, with posting a link to Linda's personal page for ALS Support. There are still three days before the Walk, and the Walk itself is a memorable event.

Linda Batty's personal ALS Walk page

For anyone who might be in the area, it is worth seeing PALS (Persons currently living with the disease (PALS) participate in the walk with as much determination and spirit as their families, friends and well wishers.

Any donations that you may choose to make will go toward caring for PALS and offering relief for families that often struggle with many day to day and financial concerns. I am copying the following information from an earlier post on this blog ( http://reachforacure.blogspot.com/2011/08/als-or-lou-gehrigs-disease-story-of.html)

What are the basic supplies needed for people affected by ALS?
              The more expensive supplies include manual and motorized wheelchairs, shower benches, air beds, bi-paps to assist breathing, and communication devices.
              There are many other aids like walkers, hospital beds, pressure relieving mattresses, patient lifts and transfer devices, to assist in the daily lives of PALS living with the disease. The ALS Association, Oregon and SW Washington Chapter has a loan medical equipment loan program to help minimize these costs for families.          
          
             What are costs of these supplies?         
             Some of the most expensive items include an accessible van (usually between $25,000 - $35,000 that is needed to transport a heavy and bulky power wheelchair, as well as $25,000 for power wheel chair,  $1000 hospital bed, $5000 bi-pap, a $6000 cough assist machine, a $8000 communication device and more.   

              To contribute to the ALS Walk, please visit the ALS Support page.


For a look into the Association's goals, here is a link to an older post, where Linda and other members of the organisation answer commonly asked questions : http://reachforacure.blogspot.com/2011/08/als-community-support-groups-goals-and.html

Linda's own perspective on care giving can be found here in her own words http://reachforacure.blogspot.com/2012/01/pic-credit-naypong-freedigitalphotos.html

Your time and support is a valuable asset, Support in the form of donations, attending the Walk or even sharing information can provide much needed relief for those fighting this battle with ALS, that they hope to win to someday.

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