Help 23 yr old Grad Fight ALS!

Hi, I'm Erin. Thank you for taking the time to learn about me and my story.

On August 4th, 2023, I was diagnosed with ALS. Honestly, I didn't even know what ALS was initially. While the doctors tried explaining my prognosis, all I could focus on was hearing the word "fatal" and listening to my mom cry. This all feels so surreal to me. I'm only 23 - how could this be happening? My mind is still reeling from the diagnosis.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, leading to loss of muscle control in speech, walking, hand movements, eating, and eventually breathing.

ALS is a relatively rare disease, especially in young people under 25 like myself. This is why I want to use the voice I have left to raise awareness about this terrible illness that has no cure.

I am so much more than just this diagnosis. I'm a young, creative, anti-social butterfly, a recent college graduate, a thrift store fanatic, a proud 6'2" Amazon of a young woman, and a loving family member, still ready to explore the world with whatever time I have left.

Before my diagnosis, I was working as an ecological monitoring technician, supporting conservation efforts in the Nevada Basin. I planned to become an environmentalist, but ALS has shifted my reality. Since my diagnosis, I've been given the opportunity to work with the Scott-Morgan Foundation. I'm volunteering my time to help design assistive technologies for others living with ALS. The first step is "banking" what is left of my voice. It can be exhausting and so I thank CereProc, for being so incredibly helpful with that process. The idea that ALS patients, using their Lenovo computers and a personal Avatar, would continue to be able to communicate their thoughts through digitized speech and gestures, is pretty amazing.

This disease may be incurable and progressive, but I can't let it steal my dreams. My goal now is to take the graduation trip to Europe I never got to experience and hopefully travel to other destinations as my health permits. I want to take this time left to bring awareness to ALS and fight it! Any additional funds raised will help cover the costs of medical expenses and medications for this disease because I deserve a shot at life, I can make a difference for others, I know I can.

While the future is uncertain, your generosity, compassion, and kindness lift my spirits. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to visit my page and consider contributing to my fundraiser. I am so very humbled and grateful.

you can follow my ALS journey on Instagram and Tiktok https://www.instagram.com/unsteadyandready/