Faces of ALS: Ken Hoffman, President of the Board of Directors
15 years ago, when Ken Hoffman’s mother, Harriet, was diagnosed with ALS, he knew little about the disease. Very quickly, Ken and his family began looking for answers. It was through that search he was introduced to the Les Turner ALS Foundation. He turned to an old fraternity brother, Dr. Scott Heller, a neurologist at the Lois Insolia ALS Clinic, the patient care side of the Les Turner ALS Research and Patient Center at Northwestern Medicine. With one phone call from Dr. Heller, Ken and his family immediately started receiving care at the clinic and support from the Foundation.
“What stands out most to me as I reflect back on that tumultuous time is the passion, commitment and care my mother and father received from the Foundation throughout their entire journey with ALS.”
After Harriet passed away, Ken dedicated himself to making sure no family faced ALS alone and, in 2007, joined the Foundation’s Board of Directors. In 2014, with a vision to continue moving the Les Turner ALS Foundation closer to a cure, Ken took on the role of President of the Board.
Ken’s leadership of the Foundation is not only a direct result of having watched his mother live with the disease and seeing the incredible care she received along the way, but also experiencing that support for himself and the rest of his family.
“Everyone from the home and community services team and the office staff to the clinicians and researchers and my colleagues on the Board of Directors worked together to ensure my family had the best advice and that my mother had the greatest quality of life as the disease progressed. From day one, I understood that the number one priority of the Les Turner ALS Foundation is, and always will be, the patient.”
