Lou Gehrig

Growing up in New York City, it was not possible to be unfamiliar with the story of Lou Gehrig standing on the field of Yankee Stadium, saying that he was the “luckiest man on the face of this earth”. This despite having just been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), now widely referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s disease”.

Unfortunately, my familiarity did not end there. In 1989 my mother was diagnosed with ALS. Still today, as then, there is no cure. The disease is a fatal, progressive neuromuscular disease which takes an individual’s ability to walk, speak, swallow and finally breathe. Life expectancy is less than five years. The cost to care for someone suffering with ALS is staggering both financially and otherwise, as the person afflicted needs complete assistance as they lose the ability to move the entire musculature of their body.

Every ninety minutes a person in the U.S. is diagnosed with this disease.

In a few weeks, my sister and her daughter, a grandchild my mother never knew, will be participating in the “Walk to Defeat ALS”. This year, has been a beating for our industry, and to ask for a contribution is at best difficult. But I know the quality of my peers. Gehrig’s speech ended, with him saying: "...I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for.” In fact, we all have an awful lot to live for: the ability and the opportunity to make a difference. Any contribution is welcome and every contribution will help.

If you can, please follow the link below and join us in making the best of our luck to make a difference.

Thank you

Sincerely,
Tom Wallace
Independent Development Services Corporation

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