Help Laura raise money

What a difference a year makes.

Last year when I signed up to run the Pittsburgh Half Marathon to raise funds to fight ALS, I was desperate. My Dad, Luke Kelly, had just been diagnosed with ALS, and I felt so helpless because I didn't know how to fix it.

But, signing up for the half changed all that. I was overwhelmed by the support you all gave us, and it energized me. It gave me the energy to take the momentum from the half and run with it (pun intended). My Dad and I joined the ALS Association to lobby our Congress and Senate to support research to find a cure; our family and friends formed Team Winning Attitude to Walk to Defeat ALS in Johnstown; I joined a group of incredible volunteers to plan and execute the Pittsburgh Walk to Defeat ALS, the biggest walk in the country.

And, we saw real progress. After initially not recommending a new ALS drug for FDA approval, an advisory committee was overwhelmed with messages from advocates from around the country, including many of you, and AMX0035, now known as RELYVRIO, was approved in September 2022, giving people living with ALS another tool with which to fight. 

This year has given me such hope, and hope is a powerful thing. I hope for many, many more years with my Dad. I hope for our leaders to join the fight to find a cure. And I hope for a world without ALS. Thank you for giving me my hope, and thank you for the continued support.