3rd Annual Gala of Hope

President’s Message from the Gala of Hope

Dr. Terry Heiman-Patterson

The 3rd Annual Gala of Hope marked the twentieth anniversary of the ALS Hope Foundation, which I co-founded with my friend and colleague Dr. Jeffrey Deitch, who passed away a few years ago. Dr. Deitch was a gifted scientist and humanitarian whose ideals and commitment will forever be part of the ALS Hope Foundation mission. 

I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the challenges faced by people living with ALS and their families every day.  No one understands the urgency of our cause more clearly than PALS and their loved ones. The courage and grace with which PALS like our guest speaker at the Gala of Hope, Bob Sinnott, and their families face this disease is an inspiration to all of us at the ALS Hope Foundation and the MDA/ALS Center of Hope. Together, the ALS Hope Foundation, the MDA, and Temple Health, along with our team of clinicians and volunteers, are committed to making a difference to the ALS community. 
 

We are proud of our ALS Center which has have made tremendous progress over the last three years at Temple University. Our multidisciplinary team is focused on implementing state of the art care with hope, compassion, and honesty.  We are committed to the future, learning more about ALS, its causes, and drugs that may someday allow us to offer better treatment options. We are also dedicated to educating people about this disease - whether it is people living with ALS, healthcare providers, or the general public We want to accelerate research for the good of all people with ALS through our collaborative efforts within Philadelphia and across the United States. This progress is only possible through the joint efforts of the ALS Hope Foundation, Temple, the MDA and you!

Despite much progress, there is still work to be done. While we have two medications, Radicava and Riluzole, that can slow the progression of ALS, there is an urgent need to find real and tangible treatment while taking care of people living with ALS now. For this reason, the mission of the ALS Hope Foundation includes care, research, and education. Thank you for joining us in this important mission. Please enjoy your evening, and know that your participation in our organization is vital to keep hope on the horizon.