May is ALS Awareness Month - #AskMeAboutALS

Cambridge, MA, May 01, 2019 --(PR.com)-- With the success of the Ice Bucket Challenge, most people became familiar with the disease named “ALS.” However, even after participating or making a donation, many people still know little about what it really means to have ALS.

That’s why as part of ALS Awareness Month this May, the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) is using #AskMeAboutALS to encourage more people to ask questions about ALS, learn about the disease, and understand why finding a cure is so important.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes muscle weakness, paralysis, and ultimately, respiratory failure. ALS robs people of their ability to walk, move, and speak, but keeps the mind intact. At this moment, there are approximately 30,000 people in the US living with ALS, and most survive only three to five years following their diagnosis. ALS can affect anyone, and in 90% of cases there is no known cause. Currently there is no cure or effective treatment for this disease, but organizations like ALS TDI, the first and largest non-profit biotech dedicated to ALS research, are working relentlessly to try and change this.

Through #AskMeAboutALS, those with ALS, as well as family members and friends, will invite others to ask questions by posting on social media, wearing #AskMeAboutALS buttons, and hosting events. The ultimate goal of this campaign is to increase awareness and to create a dialogue so that more people outside of the ALS community understand why this is such a devastating disease and why support is still needed.

“Like many people, I participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge without really understanding what I was fundraising for,” said Meghan Lawlor, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for ALS TDI. “It wasn’t until I joined ALS TDI that I realized how little I knew about ALS, how devastating this disease actually is, and how important it is that we find viable treatments. I really hope that #AskMeAboutALS educates more people about what is means to have ALS.”

The ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) is the world’s first and largest nonprofit biotech focused 100 percent on discovering treatments for ALS. Led by people with ALS and drug development experts, ALS TDI understands the urgent need to slow and stop this disease. The ALS TDI lab is located in Cambridge, MA and community members are invited to come tour the facilities to learn about their work and mission to end ALS.

All members of the community are invited and encouraged to participate in ALS Awareness Month this May. To learn more about the #AskMeAboutALS campaign, visit http://www.als.net/askmeaboutals.