August 2022

Greater Sacramento Highlights
Proudly Serving 24 Northern California Counties

Walk To Defeat ALS

We are so excited for the upcoming Walk to Defeat ALS on Saturday, September 16th at Elk Grove Regional Park! Grab your favorite running shoes and sign-up to walk today either as an Individual or a Team! Funds raised will help those living with ALS and their families. Yes, I want to Walk to Defeat ALS!

Already signed up? Don't forget to fill out the simple online form so we can begin designing your "Why We Walk" sign that will be placed along the Walk route. In Honor or In Memory, these signs remind us all why we are here to Defeat ALS! Yes, I want a "Why We Walk" sign.

For more information on Walk to Defeat ALS, please contact Stephanie Cardenas at stephanie.cardenas@als.org.

Greater Sacramento eNewsletter Highlights:

1. Legacy Society
2. Caregiver Wellness Workshop: Muscle Mechanics
3. Respiratory Therapy
4. Upcoming Virtual Support Group Meetings
5. Become a Volunteer

Click here to read more.

The ALS Association and ALS Finding a Cure® have awarded seven new grants worth a total of $2 million over the next three years to support the development of early diagnostics for ALS.

Melissa Enfinger, a care services director for The ALS Association based in Alabama, knows the importance of mental health when dealing with ALS. Melissa recently joined us on a Connecting ALS podcast episode to help us better understand the role wellness plays in making ALS livable and improving a person’s quality of life and share information about a mental health networking program she is spearheading to help the ALS community.

Focusing on caring for a person’s overall wellness is an important part of ALS multidisciplinary care. For people living with ALS and their families, the disease impacts every aspect of life, not just physical wellness, but also emotional, spiritual, social and financial wellness too.

Diagnosed with ALS in March 2022 at the age of 33, Brooke Eby is using her innate sense of humor and positive outlook on life to help raise awareness and funding for ALS research.

A new ALS Focus survey is open! People with ALS and caregivers — share your experiences with in-home mobility equipment and help make a difference for the entire community.

Donna and Steve Seggebruch first met at a friend’s wedding in 1974 and a year later reconnected for a first date. “There was a spark there from minute one,” Steve recounted. “In 1976 we were engaged and then married in 1977 and spent 45 years happily married.” Steve lost Donna to ALS last year and is now honoring her legacy by launching The Donna J. Seggebruch Legacy Challenge.

Podcast Episodes

Action Plan Being Developed to Make ALS Livable
Recorded on August 17, 2023

Your host Jeremy welcomes Kathleen Sheehan, Vice President of Public Policy at The ALS Association, for an update on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee’s action plan to make ALS livable and to accelerate the search for treatments.

Racial Disparities in Time to Diagnosis
Recorded on August 10, 2023

Jeremy talks to Dr. Kelly Gwathmey, Chair of Neuromuscular Neurology at Virginia Commonwealth University, about recent research showing racial disparities in the time it takes to confirm an ALS diagnosis.

Prioritizing Wellness While Living With ALS
Recorded on August 3, 2023

Jeremy kicks off National Wellness Month with Melissa Enfinger from The ALS Association’s Care Services team.

Learning Opportunities

Addressing Respiratory Challenges in ALS
Monday, September 18, 2023, 2:00 p.m. ET