These are tremendous times to be living in. Physical distancing while socially connecting from a distance, eating from our freezers, home schooling children, all in the name of trying to flatten the curve and rid our lives of COVID-19.
We thank the front line workers, the truck drivers, the grocery store workers, the security guards, and the restaurant and fast-food employees that are helping keep us safe and well fed. Have you stopped to think about the vulnerable, the immunocompromised, the people living with ALS?
People are still living and dying with ALS every day.
People living with ALS live in constant fear of their family or caregivers becoming sick with COVID-19 and inadvertently passing it to them. If this happens, their life expectancy will likely be reduced.
Our Canadian government has stopped all national research and clinical trials and diverted all these funds to research for COVID-19. What does this mean? It means that while we do need to find a cure for COVID-19, all other illnesses are in a holding pattern. It means that funding for ALS researchers is not available. It means that the momentum built around the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge may stop.
How can you help?
You can help by giving what you can today to ALS research. This will ensure the researchers will still have their jobs when we are able to return to some normalcy. This means that we will be able to meet our commitment to our ALS researcher to fund her research. This means that we can continue the good work already completed and build on it.
We realize that this is a difficult time for many and our hearts go out to those who are suffering during this time. We ask that those who can give, do so. We are grateful for you and look forward to sharing brilliant findings from the lab.
Until we are able to see each other in person, we wish you and your family well. Please take a moment to see our full interview with Dr. Janice Robertson.