Lethbridge ALS Walk one of the largest in the province
MORE THAN 200 WALKERS HOPED TO RAISE $30,000
People from around southern Alberta gathered at Henderson Lake Saturday morning to bring awareness and raise money for medical research for a disease that affects thousands of people across Canada.
The ALS Society of Alberta hosts 11 walks across the province every year, with Lethbridge being one of the larger walks, drawing more than 200 people to the event. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that attacks the nerves in the body responsible for sending messages to the brain. As the disease takes over, the body begins to weaken until eventually it loses the ability to swallow and breathe.
“For us this one of the bigger fundraisers that we do,” says Karen Caughey, executive director of ALS Society of Alberta. “The walk draws people from everywhere, they come from Edmonton, Cranbrook and all over southern Alberta. It is a family focused event and surrounding each family with support is a big focus for us.”
Every day in Canada, around three people will be diagnosed with ALS and will have a life expectancy of two to five years in the early stages of diagnoses. The average cost for a family to support someone with ALS is between $150,000-$250,000 making it not only hard for the people suffering with the disease, but also difficult for the families supporting their afflicted loved ones.
Rick Howard, a 68-year-old from Vulcan, was recently diagnosed with ALS and was immediately feeling the nerves break down when he began randomly falling over. He says the diagnosis came to him as a surprise, but the support from the community and the ALS Society have helped him and his family push through it.
“I was first diagnosed in January with a disease called PLS, but then on August 14, of this year I was told that I had full-blown ALS,” says Howard. “They say that I have one to three years for life expectancy and that is why I am here. We live in Vulcan and we as a family come to a support group in Lethbridge, so this is where we wanted to start our walk, this is our first time and the power is really helping here.”
Howard's mobility skills have been weakened in less than a month, permanently placing him in a mobile scooter to help him get around, kindly donated by the ALS Society. He says without the ALS Society providing him with equipment, he wouldn't be able to get around and function the way that he can with it.
“The people at the ALS society are amazing,” says Howard. “Dealing with this is no easy task, but the help that they provide such as my scooter is amazing. I couldn’t afford to buy one and they have a warehouse with scooters and wheelchairs that have been donated by people like myself who bought their own and when they passed the equipment went to the ALS Society, so I have a scooter to get around until I no longer need it.”
The Lethbridge ALS walk aimed to raise $30,000 to go toward research and support services. The walk in Lethbridge all began when Gerard Thom selflessly donated his time and efforts to spread awareness in 2016. Gerard passed away from ALS in June 2017, and the cause is still shared by his wife Shelly and son Adam, along with hundreds of other people who honour the incredible person he was. If you would like to donate to the ALS Society of Alberta, visit walkforals.ca.