The ALS Society of Canada is celebrating a $13 million investment into its Ontario program.
1,400 Ontario residents are living with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, which often leaves people facing a rapid loss of function—including mobility, speech, and eventually the ability to eat, swallow, and breathe.
Most will need expensive mobility aids, communication devices, and respiratory assistance.
There is currently no cure, and approximately 80 percent of those diagnosed with ALS will die within two to five years.
The investment came in the 2024 Fall Economic Statement today.
The Ontario program better help Ontarians living with ALS and their loved ones, supporting their independence, safety, and dignity while reducing stress on the healthcare system.
“The physical, emotional, and financial demands of ALS are enormous and only grow as the disease progresses,” says Tammy Moore, CEO of ALS Canada. “This transformative investment by the Ontario government in the Provincial ALS Program will help ensure people with ALS have access to multi-disciplinary care, essential community services and the assistive devices and mobility equipment they need when they need it, it is recognition the ALS community has long sought. We’re proud to have collaborated with the Ontario ALS Clinics and the ALS community to bring forward this program in partnership with the Ontario government.”
A St. Catharines man living with ALS, Steven Gallagher, has been a strong advocate for the governmnet to fund more ALS treatments, and research.
“As someone living with ALS, this funding announcement brings a profound sense of relief and hope. Knowing that the Ontario government has responded to our needs is a powerful reminder that our voices are being heard, and it is an important step toward improving the lives of those affected by ALS across the province. I’m hopeful this commitment will inspire continued progress toward consistent care and resources for everyone facing this disease.” – Steven Gallagher, diagnosed with ALS in 2019.