About the ALS Network
At the ALS Network, we connect people living with ALS in California and Hawaii with the resources they need to live a longer, more comfortable life. We connect need with support, questions with answers, thought leaders with new ideas, research to funding, and advocates to challenge the status quo.
Our Mission
To partner with the ALS community as we drive the discovery of prevention strategies, treatments, and cures for ALS; provide access to quality care and connection; and promote initiatives to improve health outcomes.
What is ALS?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It slowly robs a person of the ability to walk, speak, swallow, and, eventually, to breathe. There is no known cause or cure for ALS.
Who gets ALS?
Based on U.S. population studies, a little over 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year. (That's 15 new cases a day.) It is estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease at any given time.
5,000+
people are diagnosed
per year
2-5 Years
is the average
life expectancy
Only 10%
of cases
are inherited
For more information about the ALS Network, please visit www.alsnetwork.org.