LETTER: Military veterans at higher risk for ALS

Military veterans – regardless of the branch of service, regardless of the era in which they served, and regardless of whether they served during a time of peace or a time of war – are at a greater risk of dying from ALS than if they had not served in the military.

ALS is your worst nightmare. My mother was diagnosed with ALS when she was taking chemotherapy for breast cancer. Because there is no effective treatment for ALS and the prognosis is terminal, her cancer treatment was terminated immediately and she died a year later from ALS. The prognosis of two to five years of life for those with ALS hasn’t changed since Lou Gehrig was diagnosed back in the 1930s.

The ALS Association is collaborating with the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Food & Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, scientists, healthcare professionals, other disease-focused nonprofit organizations, and the ALS community to expedite the search for treatments.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for ALS today, but together we are providing supportive services and care and you can help!

To learn more about free services for those with ALS and to connect to the local chapter, go to: www.alsohio.org

Marlin K. Seymour, Executive Director

The ALS Association Central & Southern Ohio Chapter

Columbus