To Your Health

June is ALS awareness month

Jun 4, 2024 | 5:00 AM

PRINCE GEORGE— Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease is a paralysing neurological disorder that affects the motor neurons that control muscle movement and breathing. Kristi Francis’s mom passed away from ALS and she hopes that one else has to go through the same struggles as her family.

“ALS is a pretty horrendous disease for patients and their families,” says Kristi Francis, a volunteer coordinator for Move to Cure ALS. “It wreaks havoc on the individual’s body and it’s a lot of suffering. So, the hope is and there is a lot of hope. The hope is to ease the suffering of patients and eventually end ALS.”

Move to cure ALS will happen at 10 a.m. on June 23 at the Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park.This annual fundraising event will see proceeds going to patient support services and clinical research coming out of the University of British Columbia. The goal for Prince George is to raise $20,000.

“60 per cent of the proceeds raised go directly to patient services for individuals and their families in B.C. dealing with ALS,” notes Kristi. ” And 40 percent of the proceeds go to project Hope. So, that is the research clinical trial center at UBC.”

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Email: sam.bennison@pattisonmedia.com

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