Students walk to find a cure for ALS

University of Toledo students are being called upon to do more than just dump ice cold water on their heads.

They are being called to actively participate in the Walk to Defeat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on Oct. 5 at UT.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that progresses rapidly said Nicole Krejci, the development manager for the ALS Association Northern Ohio chapter.

“Basically what happens is the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord quit working,” Krejci said. “Most of the progression is very fast. It starts pretty small with a person being unable to move, having a weakness in their hand or arm and leg. From there it progresses into paralyzation, the ability to lose speech, the ability to lose all muscle movement.

“Typically the time from diagnosis to end of life is rather quick. It is anywhere from 2 to 5 years and most progress very fast.”

According to the ALS Association, about 5,600 people are diagnosed every year with ALS.

“Every 90 minutes a person in this country is diagnosed with ALS and every 90 minutes another person will lose their battle against this disease,” said Sue Wambold, volunteer coordinator for the Toledo Walk. “ALS occurs throughout the world with no racial, ethnic or socioeconomic boundaries.”

For more than a decade, people from Northwest Ohio have gathered together to raise awareness about ALS and to raise money to support those diagnosed with the disease.

Ruth Moeller, past chairwoman of the Toledo Walk to Defeat ALS, said she began the walk in 2003 to honor her husband who passed away from ALS in 2002.

“Having lost my husband to ALS, I felt that it was an event that gave honor in memory of him and help the awareness of the disease grow,” Moeller said. “I’ve seen tremendous amounts of money come in as a result of this team effort where individuals walk as teams and raise money in teams. When they walk they’re either walking in honor of someone who is living or perhaps it’s a family reunion for those who have passed.”

Krejci said the goal for this year’s walk is to raise $115,000. She said they have already raised over $68,000 and have over 50 teams registered to walk.

“The money raised has gone two ways, it’s to provide programs and services for those right in this immediate area and secondly it’s provided research money so that someday folks will not have to deal with disease, they may even remember Lou Gehrig as a baseball player rather than the name of a disease,” Moeller said.

Wambold said the cost of caring for ALS patients totals over $200,000 per year. She said the care needed for patients is dire.

“I mean, the person becomes a 24-hour-a-day care,” Wambold said. “They have to have somebody there; they are basically dead from the neck down. In the end you’re in a bed with rails and someone is diapering you. It is extremely sad.”

Krejci said these funds help provide services that health insurance does not cover, such as power chairs.

Moeller said the support for ALS research has grown in the past 11 years and last year, Lloyd Jacobs, former UT president, offered to host the walk at UT to honor his administrative assistant, Diane Hymore, who had to retire due to ALS.

Since the event has moved to UT, Tricia Cullop, coach of UT’s women’s basketball team, has been named honorary chairwoman of the walk.

Wambold said Cullop began volunteering when a family friend was diagnosed with ALS.

“She [Cullop] brings over her women’s basketball team and they shoot around with the kids and take pictures with the kids. It’s a lot of fun,” Wambold said.

In addition to the Lady Rockets, Ronald McDonald, Rocky and Muddy the Mud Hen will all make appearances at the Walk to Defeat ALS.

Wambold hopes that events like the Ice Bucket Challenge and Walks to Defeat ALS will raise people’s awareness of ALS.

“We already have seen our numbers increase because of the awareness that has been raised about ALS. There have been a lot more people that have not only donated to the Ice Bucket Challenge, but they have called and said ‘Hey we want to do more, how can we participate?’” she said.

Wambold said even though someone may not know an individual with ALS it still affects the Toledo community.

“We already have a lot of Toledo students that are registered, but we would love to have more,” Krecji said.