Take a deep breath.  For most people, this is very easy.  It is something we do, over 20,000 times a day, without thinking about it. Breathing is essential for speaking, coughing, eating and providing oxygen to your body.  For people living with ALS, the ability to breath is not this easy nor is it guarnateed. ALS is a progressive neuromuscular disease, affecting the ability to control our muscles.  Sometimes this starts in the hands and legs, sometimes it starts with the ability to speak or swallow safely. No matter where it starts, at some point it will affect the muscles involved in breathing.  As a Pulmonary physician caring for people living with ALS, I know firsthand how the disease affects my patients' ability to breath.

 

May is ALS Awareness Month.  Every day this month, I will ride my bike in honor of a person living with ALS.  You can follow my journey on Instagram, Twitter or Peloton. (Drjustbreath) If you are a member of the Peloton community, please consider adding #Takeabreath to your tags to help raise awareness.  In addition to my daily rides, I am hosting an online fundraiser on behalf of the Les Turner ALS Foundation’s Fundraise Your Way program. I believe in our mission to provide the best possible care to people and families living with ALS in the Chicagoland area.  I believe that the funds we raise together will help our researchers at the Lois Insolia Clinic find a cure for ALS.  This cause is important to me and I would greatly appreciate your support of my efforts.

 

ALS is scary, but the Les Turner ALS Foundation exists to care for those affected by the disease.  They provide a personalized approach to treatment and care–preparing people living with ALS to navigate their difficult journey and supporting them and those they love each step of the way. Please consider making a donation to help me reach my fundraising goal.  Together, we can make an impact and create a world free of ALS.

 

Thank you,

John M. Coleman, MD

 

"Because ALS is underfunded, patients have had no option but to fade away and die. That is not OK." - Steve Gleason