Imagine: You're awoken at night with slight twitches in one of your limbs.Your speech begins to slur. You're fatigued by small tasks, and suddenly begin to fall inexplicably. You have trouble picking up papers or even using a pen.You seek medical counsel, but are given no satisfactory answers. That is often just the beginning of the devastating journey of an ALS patient. Within a short time, many patients find themselves wheel-chair bound, unable to communicate, and trapped inside of a body that can no longer function.

The deadly disease affects the motor neurons in a person's brain and spinal cord. When the motor neurons die, the muscles waste away. Gradually, a person is robbed of the ability to walk, speak, eat, and eventually breathe. All the while, the mind remains sharp and aware of the total paralysis that is quickly setting in. Upon diagnosis, doctors give ALS patients only two to five years to live. There is no cause and no cure for ALS. The disease shows no partiality. It can strike anyone. Regardless of your age, gender, or ethnicity, you could become a victim who hears the doctor say, "You have ALS."