Dear Friends,
On Friday, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Governor of Illinois issued a statewide shelter-in-place order, similar to what we’ve seen in other parts of the country.
This news creates challenges for all of us. How do we work from home with a spouse and our children present? How do we safely get groceries and medicine? How do we make sure our elderly relatives are ok? How do we keep our families living with ALS healthy and safe?
These are strange and scary times. Surreal, even.
Living with ALS feels much the same way to many people. In these difficult times, we look to our families who are living with ALS to show us what the resiliency needed to get through this crisis looks like.
Each of you is an important and invaluable member of our Les Turner ALS family. And as a family, we are always stronger together. And I know we will get through this crisis with kindness, with patience and by leaning on and supporting each other.
With the new challenges come new opportunities. Opportunities to connect with nature. Opportunities to step back and check-in with our friends and family in new and creative ways. Opportunities for exploring new hobbies and talents. If we have learned nothing else from our families living with ALS, it’s that the possibilities truly are endless.
The Les Turner ALS Foundation is continuing to do our essential work to make sure our families living with ALS are supported along every step of their journey with the disease. We are making sure our Clinic is providing the best care to people living with ALS and we are ensuring our investment in novel ALS research projects continues. And thanks to your support, your strength and your commitment, that will never change.
In the coming days, you’ll hear more about some of the steps we’re taking to ensure our families living with ALS have what they need to get through this crisis.
I wish you and your loved ones health and safety in this difficult time. You can rest assured, we will be here for our families, and for you, no matter what until we all live in a world free of ALS.
Together, now more than ever, towards a cure,
Andrea Pauls Backman, MBA
Les Turner ALS Foundation, Chief Executive Officer
For the most recent updates to our response to COVID-19, please visit our website.
