Push Your Limits. Fight ALS.
Hi! Thank you for considering donating to help fight against ALS!
I am running the NYC Marathon in honor of Paul C. Apap. My best friend Ellie Apap, lost her father, Paul, to ALS in 2019. We were Sophomores at Providence College at the time, and her home is Michigan. Paul fought for 10 years. For those that don’t know Ellie, she is the person who is everyone’s friend and lights up every room she walks into. Watching Ellie go through this shed so much light into my life about this disease, one that I had never heard of prior besides the infamous ice bucket challenge. Ellie and her family have made it their mission to help families going through this diagnosis by creating a foundation in honor of Paul (www.pcaals.com). Running is me doing my part in raising awareness for this disease that unfortunately many are unaware of until it hits their home.
Team ALS supports those affected by ALS, and to spread awareness of our cause and the fight for a cure. ALS United Greater New York provides much needed patient services resources, funds local research, and much more in order to help those living with ALS right in our community.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive disease of the nervous system that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Presently, there is no known cure for ALS.
- Every ninety minutes, someone is diagnosed with the disease, and someone passes away from it.
- 90% of ALS cases occur without any known family history or genetic cause. The remaining 10% of ALS cases are inherited through a mutated gene with a known connection to the disease.
- 55 is the average age of onset with most people who develop ALS between the ages of 40 and 70. However, cases of the disease do occur in people in their twenties and thirties.
- ALS is 20% more common in men than women. However, with increasing age, the incidence of ALS is more equal between men and women.
- Military veterans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with the disease than the general public for yet unknown reasons.
