Wow.

What can we PALS say when suddenly our hidden disease gets viral attention on Facebook and elsewhere?  Thank you to everyone who has participated in and/or donated to ALS-related causes.  At last count, the ALSA has received $31.5 million to support its research and especially care for ALS patients (PALS).

So many people have taken the challenge (#alsicebucketchallenge) and so many have contributed.  I hope more people understand the disease now, too.

I read about another person in Havre with ALS, a man perhaps my age (?).  That makes 3 of us in a city of less than 10,000 people.  Weird.  Only 30K people in the US are diagnosed each year.  We seem to have a preponderance of cases here.

Well, we keep moving forward, as the alternative is not acceptable.  I am still working for the time being, and looking forward to the students returning to MSU-Northern next week. Hopefully my Dolan will be one of them!

We will be participating in the Missoula Walk to Defeat and here is my link:

Team Pam's PALS

We are doing well fundraising for this good cause, and hope it will exceed its goal!  We just attended a Practical Solutions Workshop put on by the ALSA Evergreen Chapter (which covers Montana, Washington, Idaho...), and got good info and contacts.  That's part of what funds raised will cover (PALS support efforts), as well as research into this mysterious, devastating disease.

As summer slides to a close, I hope we all appreciate every single day we are given.  It is a beautiful world.