State Representative Amy Elik passed House Resolution 609, which declares May 2026 as “ALS Awareness Month” in the State of Illinois.
“I hope all Illinoisans will join in supporting ALS research and advocacy and stand in solidarity with those affected by this relentless disease,” said Rep. Elik.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a devastating and fatal neurodegenerative condition in which a person’s brain loses connection with the muscles due to the destruction of motor neurons. The destruction of motor neurons that ALS causes leads to complete paralysis and, in most cases, death within five years of diagnosis. Though their minds are unaffected, people living with ALS lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, and eventually breathe. They are confined to a fate where, as their independence fades, they must rely entirely on caregivers to provide round-the-clock aid as the disease reaches its more advanced stages. ALS currently has no known cure, and the exact causes are unknown.