Whatever It Takes

As is true for so many with ALS, the symptoms appeared out of nowhere. Kerry Falzone’s father, Andy, an avid mountain bike rider, self-taught guitar player, and long-time carpenter was diagnosed with Bulbar Onset ALS at age 62 in January 2021. Kerry, a marketing expert with a husband and two small children, knew she could not idly stand by and watch this disease devastate her father without taking action.

She immediately started researching the disease learning all she could and became an advocate in the fight to end ALS. But, that wasn’t enough. She jumped at the chance to raise funds for the Greater New York Chapter, by creating a walk team named for her father. In her first year as Team Captain, “Andy Strong” has raised over $22,000. The Walk to Defeat ALS program fuels the Chapter’s search for effective treatments and a cure while offering care services free of charge for people living with ALS and their families.

If there is anything Kerry wants people to know, it is that the ALS community is a strong one. Kerry states, “that even during these still unprecedented times, I am in awe of the amount of support we have received from family members, friends, and even strangers.” Kerry adds that this community needs more advocates to join together and write to their congresspeople about ACT for ALS. With your help, we can fight for those living with ALS to have access to life-extending drugs and that more dollars can be used to further research into this devastating disease. “You never think it could affect you until it does.” But, Kerry, like many of us, is determined to do whatever it takes to end ALS