For the general public, ALS might bring some specific images to mind. Many might think of grainy black and white newsreel footage of Lou Gehrig standing in Yankee Stadium. Others might picture the same scene but replace the actual Gehrig with Gary Cooper from the movie Pride of the Yankees. Still others might picture—and hear—Stephen Hawking and his computer-generated voice. More recently, Steve Gleason has become what many think of when they think “this is what ALS looks like.”
But for those living with ALS and those caring for them, the disease isn’t embodied by a famous person, present or past. ALS looks like a kitchen reconfigured to allow for a power wheelchair at the table. It sounds like a ventilator or the hum of other medical devices. It feels like grips on silverware or textured plastic cups.
As we begin May and ALS Awareness Month, we want to explore what ALS looks, feels and sounds like for those with ALS and their families. As these families know, the progression of the disease means near constant change—some that can be planned for, and some that can’t.
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