Erik was diagnosed with ALS in November 2016, six months after his first symptoms of leg weakness appeared. To say that the diagnosis was a shock is an understatement. Erik is only 43 years old, 12 years younger than the average patient. He has always been healthy, often the only person in the household who did not get the never-ending wave of colds that the kids brought home from school. Erik would say that was because “you can’t hurt steel”, jokingly making reference to being Superman. Unfortunately, ALS became his kryptonite.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is horrible. It slowly kills the body’s motor neurons, paralyzing every muscle in the body until patients lose their ability to walk, talk, eat and eventually breathe. Today, there is no cure. Life expectancy is 2-5 years.

We are now publicly sharing our story because there is a desperate need for funds to help advance research. ALS is rare and the patient base does not really grow in size. Every 90 minutes someone is diagnosed, and every 90 minutes someone looses their battle. Because of this very small subgroup, ALS does not receive a lot of funding through various other systems. Grassroots fundraising, like the Ice Bucket Challenge, is key to advancing research. The Ice Bucket Challenge was a brief but amazing event that helped lead to the approval of Radicava in May 2017. Radicava is the first ALS drug in 22 years to be approved by the FDA and has shown promise to slow the progression of the disease by 33%. Other drugs that might slow progression are also currently in pre-clinical and clinical trials.

The strategy to fight back against ALS is simple. Find ways to slow down the progression while research can continue to advance towards either halting its progress or even reverse it.

The strategy only works through funding and we would greatly appreciate your support in helping us raise funds for ALS TDI who has been an invaluable support system for us.

ALS TDI was founded in 1999 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit biotech whose sole purpose is to find a therapy or cure for ALS.

Their innovative science and cutting edge approach have resulted in:

• The identification of a promising new treatment for ALS: AT-1501
• The largest database of preclinical drug studies in animal models of ALS
• The world's first and largest Precision Medicine Program for ALS
• The largest database integrating ALS genetics, voice recordings, lifestyle, demographics, and accelerometer data

ALS TDI’s mantra is "ALS is not an incurable disease, it is an underfunded one."

Help us raise funds and fight back.

Thank you so much for your support!

The Clauson Family