ALS & The Holidays

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As someone living with ALS, the holidays are an emotional time. I feel so grateful to still be alive to spend time with my family, but it’s also difficult knowing that my life will never be like it once was.

I’ll always enjoy watching those I love having holiday fun. However, due to my limited mobility, I’m no longer able to help chop down the perfect tree, go shopping for presents or put up decorations around the house. ALS has changed everything for me, and for my husband, Travis.

"Four years ago when Travis and I first heard from my neurologist that I had ALS, we were in absolute shock. It didn’t make sense. I felt healthy, did yoga regularly and enjoyed travelling. At only 41 years old, how could I have a terminal neuromuscular disease that doesn’t have a cure?"

Since I’ve been diagnosed, I haven’t worked. I use a wheelchair. I also struggle with constant fear. How will I possibly cope when my muscles deteriorate to the point that I have full-blown paralysis and can’t breathe on my own? This is what ALS does to a person’s body, and unfortunately, it’s also what my future will look like.

Right now, ALS research is extremely underfunded. It’s a devastating disease, and there is no cure. My wish this holiday season is that more funding can go to the many promising research studies underway. ALS Canada relies on donor support to back this research that could lead to new treatments.

Please find it in your heart to help everyone else across our country who is living with ALS by making a donation today. With your help as a donor this holiday season, new insights could be discovered and this disease could become treatable, and not terminal. 

One thing about living with ALS is that you realize that each and every day is a privilege. To me, the New Year is another important milestone and 2018 will bring fresh possibility, opportunity and hope for a future without ALS. One of the best gifts you can make this holiday season is making a donation. 

With warm wishes,
Carol Skinner
Living with ALS

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About ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease, or motor neuron disease) gradually paralyzes people because the brain is no longer able to communicate with the muscles of the body that we are typically able to move at will. Over time, as the muscles of the body break down, someone living with ALS will lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, swallow, and eventually breathe.
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About ALS Canada
As the only national charitable organization that invests in ALS research across Canada, ALS Canada funds high-quality research that offers the most promise to slow down ALS or even stop it. Within Ontario, ALS Canada has a role similar to that of the provincial ALS societies providing services and support to help meet the needs of people living with ALS. We are a registered charity that receives no government funding – all of our services and research are funded through the generosity of donors. Visit our website for more information.