(NAPSA)—Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurologicaldisease thatattacks the nervecells. It first gained nationalattention as Lou Gehrig's disease, namedafter the famousbaseball player whowasdiagnosed with ALSin 1939. To date, the cause of ALS is unknown,and thereis still no known cure. The disease strikes quickly, usually leading to death within twotofive years of diagnosis. But every person with ALS hasanindividual story, and understanding these stories will help researchers ultimately piece togetherclues aboutthisdisease. Ed Tessaro was diagnosed with ALS in 2009. As he learned to cope with this diagnosis, he reflects, “'ve never con- sidered myself a victim of the disease because I believe in my heart all of us have a wheelchair. In my case,it's quite literal, but with everything that goes on in mylife, I realize that every family has had a crisis” Oneofthe thingsthat helps himandothers with ALSis reaching out for community support and resources. “The ongoing struggle is to encourage newly diagnosed people to comein and talk abouttheir condition. I wantto help peoplelearn aboutthe National ALS Registry, clinical trials, and other resources that can provide support and hope” The National ALS Registry helps gather information from those whoare living with this disease. Researchers from all around the world can access the Registry data to help scientists learn more about what causes this disease. Everyone’sstory is different, and everyones piece of the puzzle is essential. The Registry has found that almost 16,000 persons with ALSlive in the United States, as of 2014. It is importantto include as Ed Tessaro has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Patients and researchers working together may help defeat the disease. manypeople aspossible living with the disease to get the most accurate information. When patients join, it helps give researchers moreinformation. This could lead to a better understanding of the causes ofALS,because learning more aboutthe disease is one step further in thebattle to defeatit. Concludes Ed,“Its tough, but maybe we can fling open a doorortwoin the next couple of years of research. I'm happyjusttostall this thing andgetall ofus to anotherchapterin ourlives.” If you or someone you care about hasALS,please consider learning more aboutthe National ALS Registry by vis- iting www.cdc.gov/ALS. Editor's Note: Although Mayis ALS Month,this article can be ofinterest to your readers atany time.
