Dear Native American Times:
The 2012 Presidential campaign is in full swing. We read about it in this
newspaper every day. Herman Cain, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, and of course
President Obama. They all are fighting for their political lives. But
with Veterans Day approaching on November 11, what the American public
needs to hear about is the campaign our nation's veterans are waging
against Lou Gehrig's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Yes, the disease that took the life of baseball legend Lou Gehrig is
striking our military veterans at an alarming rate. In fact, studies show
that vets are twice as likely to die from ALS as the general public. And
it doesn't matter when or where they served in the military - home or
abroad, peace or war, from World War I to Afghanistan. There is no
treatment. No cure. Only death in an average of two to five years.
We don't know why vets are more likely to develop ALS. But we do know
that greater awareness of this campaign will help in the fight to find the
cause, treatment and cure for this horrible disease. On Veterans Day, I
hope this newspaper honors these American heroes and tells their story,
which largely has been ignored by the media.
I urge your readers to visit the Wall of Honor at www.alsa.org. There
they will see the faces and read the stories of the veterans who are
fighting ALS and those we already have lost to the disease. There they
will see the campaign that has not been written about by the press. They
will see the stories of people not simply engaged in a political fight,
but in a fight for their lives.
My Mother was diagnosed with this horrible disease in July of 2010 and
with in that time has lost all form of independence that she has ever
expierenced. ALS patients do not have alot of options once their disease
progresses to a certain point. The ones with family and friends willing to
take on the full responsibilty will live longer. The reason I say this is
because nursing facilities are not very familiar with this disease and do
not accept ventilator dependent patients wich is one of the most vital
machines to an ALS patient! Sowith your help to spread the word about ALS
maybe just maybe we can make a difference in the lives of ALS patients
that do not have the support my Mother does. That is our family goal to
raise as much awareness as our voices can! Thank you for your time
Sincerely,
Kim Wilson LPN
Sapulpa, Okla.