Supporting People Affected By ALS
Mission:
Founded in 1990, adELA is a non-profit organization and its mission is to improve the lives of people affected by Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). It is a rare neurological disease that primarily affects the nerve cells (neurons) responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement. Voluntary muscles aid our everyday movements like chewing, walking, and talking. The disease is progressive, meaning the symptoms get worse over time. Currently, there is no cure for ALS and no effective treatment to halt or reverse its progression.
In order to improve the lives of people affected by ALS in Madrid, adELA offer:
- Support for patients in adELA’s own center as well as in patients’ homes
- Information, support, and advice for families of the patients who have to face this disease
- Raising awareness around ALS so everyone can be informed about its causes, effects, and consequences.
This image was created by an association member affected by ALS. It represents what life felt like once he had been diagnosed.
Why It Matters:
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis typically affects people between 40 and 70 years old and it is more frequently found in men than women. ALS affects around 2 in every 100,000 people. The day ALS patients are diagnosed, they realize that their lives will dramatically change and find that life with ALS is difficult not just for patients but for families too. Lots of (quite expensive) resources are required, as well as 24/7 attention is needed to face a disease which, despite years and years of research, a cure has not been found. TEAM LEWIS has supported adELA’s Madrid center, which, thanks to this opportunity, is going to be able to buy those expensive items and materials ALS patients and families from Madrid need.
“I have seen how a reality of life with ALS can affect a person and their loved one, as my boyfriend’s dad suffered with the disease. A lot of resources are needed for patients, as well as investment in research. This donation from the TEAM LEWIS Causes Program has been really useful for the association center in Madrid, which each day supports many families who have to face ALS as their reality” Sara Pérez Núñez, Senior Account Executive, TEAM LEWIS Madrid.