May is ALS Awareness month.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease in which a person’s brain loses connection with the muscles, slowly taking away their ability to walk, talk, eat, and eventually breathe. There is no cure for ALS.
Did you know that:
5,000+ people are diagnosed every year
Every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with ALS, and someone passes away from it
2-5 years is the average life expectancy
The ALS Association has partnered with Streetlight Digital since 2021 through various digital marketing campaigns, but I’ve had the privilege of working with them since 2014. I’m driven daily to support their goal to make ALS livable for everyone, everywhere, until we can cure it to honor the memory of my friend, Shelley, who passed away from ALS in 2018.
I met Shelley on a triathlon team when I moved to Austin in 2007 – she was a fierce and strong athlete, and I was drawn to her wisdom, passion, grit, and humor. One of the first stories Shelley shared with me was about having just lost her mother to ALS. Fast forward to 2016, at the age of 45, came Shelley’s diagnosis, and it took over her body swiftly with 1.5 years until her passing.
Shelley was a lawyer, and her career was marked by too many accomplishments to list. She defended individuals and the laws of the state with equal passion. She was also a single mom hero of mine, as her greatest joy was being the mother of Kenna. Together they resolved to choose joy even in the tough times.
Choose joy are the words that anyone who knew Shelley was left with. She taught so many how to live and love big, to go for it! (whatever IT was), and never let time slip by unnoticed. She would push others across the finish lines they thought they would never see.
I’m grateful for the support that Shelley and her daughter received from the ALS Association during her diagnosis. From help navigating doctors, searching for homecare and insurance issues to a wheelchair and a computer that could help her type with her eyes that kept her connected to all of us, The ALS Association stepped in for our friend who was trying to push all of us to choose joy when we knew goodbye was around the corner.
Every May, the ALS community comes together to raise awareness of the disease, share stories from people living with ALS, show support for caregivers, families, and care workers, and shine a spotlight on those who dedicate their lives to finding a cure. At Streetlight Digital, we are honored to support the work of the ALS Association.
— Words and wisdom from Colleen Wilson-Legge, Principal Strategist