Lee Erwin reporting
lerwin@clarksvillenow.com
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee State Representative Joe Pitts and his wife Cynthia hosted a reception Tuesday, September 10 for families and patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Close to 40 people gathered at the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library to share information and help focus on the needs of patients who suffer from this debilitating disease as well as their families.
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. According to the National ALS Association, approximately 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year. After being diagnosed the life expectancy of an ALS patient averages about two-five years but many live a quality life for five years or more.
Pitts talked about his inspiration for the fight against ALS. “We wanted to provide information for families in our community that may have a loved one or themselves that are suffering with ALS. This is a result of Diane Wood Turner championing her cause of Paw Paw, her father, Truman Wood Sr., who suffered and ultimately died from ALS,” said Pitts.
Turner lost her father in 2010 and has organized a number of local fundraising events in his memory to try and get more people in Clarksville involved and make them more aware of ALS. The money her and her family raise each year goes to the “Nashville Walk to Defeat ALS” which is scheduled this year on October 26.
To learn more about the ALS Association Tennessee Chapter visit www.alstn.org or call Patty Lane, Patient Services Manager for the ALS Association at 615-331-5556 or 1-877-216-5551.