ALS Texas

Introducing UNLOCK ALS

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The ALS Association Introduces New Mission Integration Concept at the Walk to Defeat ALS

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people across the country bring their determination, energy, and passion to the Walk to Defeat ALS to celebrate the progress made in the search for a cure with the ALS community. This year, we’ll honor our loved ones who are battling ALS and who have battled ALS through our new program UNLOCK ALS.

We’ll celebrate the real possibility of unlocking the mysteries of ALS. Anyone may hold the key to UNLOCK ALS – a fundraiser raising funds for the cure, a person with ALS participating in a clinical trial, a researcher developing treatments, even you.

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New Salsa Business Provides Purpose After an ALS Diagnosis

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skips-salsa
Tami Potts has been canning her homemade salsa since her 20s.

Tami Potts has been canning her homemade salsa since her 20s. People have always told her that she should start her own salsa company, but between raising four kids and working, she never had much time to pursue that opportunity.

In the summer of 2016, Tami’s right hand started going numb. Her doctor told her it was time to consider another profession, as she spent many long days as a mail carrier. Tami’s daughter suggested finally starting up that salsa business.

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The Walk to Defeat ALS: A Community Celebration of Hope

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What does it mean to be a part of the Walk to Defeat ALS? We’ve thought a lot about this question over the last few months.

Participation in this campaign can mean different things to different people, but overall, we think it can be summed up in these three words: Community, Celebration, Hope.

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3rd Annual Shoot Out ALS Tournament Explodes with Success

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harvey-builders-first-place
Harvey Builders win first place in the 2018 Shoot Out ALS tournament.

On Monday, March 26, more than 150 shooters gathered for the 3rd Annual Shoot Out ALS tournament at the Greater Houston Gun Club, raising $127,000 for the fight against ALS. Shooting enthusiasts participated in an afternoon shoot followed by cocktails and dinner, a live auction, and an awards reception.

At the tournament, we recognized ALS Hero JC Creath. Before ALS, JC and his wife Andrea were photographers, always on the go. While busy photographing weddings, families, pets, and babies, the symptoms of ALS began. JC began tripping and falling, and he struggled to catch his breath at times.

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Another Winning Hand in the Fight Against ALS

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On Saturday, January 20, more than 250 people attended the 14th Annual All in for ALS Poker Tournament. The event raised over $185,000 for the fight against ALS and to help fulfill our mission of finding treatments and a cure while serving, advocating for, and empowering people affected by ALS to live their lives to the fullest.

All in for ALS began in 2004 in honor of Stu Nichols. Stu and his son Andrew had a mission to visit every ballpark in the U.S. throughout Andrew’s childhood. Amidst their journey, Stu was diagnosed with ALS. After his diagnosis, he was still committed to visiting the remaining ballparks, but he also wanted to find a way to fund research for a cure for ALS. Andrew had been playing online poker at the time and was interested in playing in the World Series of Poker tournament. They decided to start a poker event that would benefit people living with ALS.

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ALS Texas: 2017 By the Numbers

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At ALS Texas, we’re committed to providing quality services to people with ALS. From multidisciplinary clinics to support groups, financial assistance, loaning medical equipment free of charge, and research investment, we’re dedicated to helping patients live their lives to the fullest.

It’s only through the support of people like you that we’re able to do all this, and we want to thank you for helping make the past year a success. View the graphic below to see the impact of your donations in 2017.

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Letter from the Executive Director: Year in Review

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Executive Director Tanner Hockensmith and his family

Texas is big, really big. Our friends at Texas Humor stated that “if you drive long enough through Texas, you still might not get all the way through it.” As Texans, we pride ourselves on the sheer size of our great state.

However, its sprawling cities, growing suburbs, and vast rural areas pose a real challenge when we think about access. At ALS Texas, we believe that everyone living with ALS deserves to have access to top-notch clinical care, programs and resources that increase quality of life, clinical research studies, and an ALS community advocating for change.

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Support Plays Important Role in Living with ALS

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By Ben Stephens

Ben and his family

Like most people with ALS, I’d noticed some changes long before the diagnosis came. In August 2013, I began having difficulty buttoning my shirt. After seeing three different neurologists, receiving an incorrect diagnosis of multifocal motor neuropathy, and a series of tests like a spinal tap and MRI, I finally received a diagnosis of ALS in December 2014.

ALS has forced a lot of changes on my life. As an estate planning and probate attorney, I have a number of clients who rely on me. After my diagnosis, I hired an associate, which allows me to continue to work while living with the realities of ALS. I quit driving about two years ago, and I’ve learned to work remotely. I had to sell my house because of the stairs, and my family and I moved to a duplex. ALS has affected almost every area of my life.

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A Letter from the Board President: Multidisciplinary Clinic Access Expands in Texas

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When my father was diagnosed with ALS in November 2011, he and my mother began attending an ALS multidisciplinary clinic. He had been sick for three to four years and had seen doctor after doctor trying to get a diagnosis.  When he started attending clinic, the ease of a one-stop place for patients to see all the disciplines necessary to treat ALS gave my parents both relief and empowerment.

Aside from the relief of constant travel to numerous doctor’s appointments, multidisciplinary clinics help provide a better quality of life for a patient and caregiver.  From bonding with another patient or caregiver in the lobby over a shared experience to the ability to learn about new developments in treatments and research, the benefits are endless.

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Austin Family Grateful for Outstanding Support on Their ALS Journey

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By Jackie Barry

Jackie Barry lives with her husband Tom in Austin, Texas. She was diagnosed with ALS in 2016 and has been involved with the ALS Association since then. Read her story below.

In early 2015, I began having a speech problem, like a lisp, which seemed to get a little worse when I was stressed or tired. We were in the midst of getting home repairs done, so I thought it would just go away if I ignored it.

In August that year, I saw the doctor about it, and he suspected it could be a stroke or a brain tumor, among other things. I had an MRI, MRA and a carotid sonogram done, which all came back normal. Shortly after that, I was referred to a neurologist, who sent me for a swallow test, after which he believed it was a neuromuscular problem. He then referred me to Dr. Carlayne Jackson at UT Health in San Antonio. Dr. Jackson diagnosed me with ALS in February 2016.

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