"Most people with ALS lose the use of their legs in the first two years of the disease. What would you do, while you still could?"

Rutheen Scott was my mother. She was a fun loving, active and vibrant person right up until the end of 2008 when she began experiencing baffling health concerns. Over time she became weaker and weaker. My mother, who used to walk the beach for 45 minutes three times a day in the summer, curl in the winter and do her Wii regularly (as RAMBO RUTH!), struggled to walk a few hundred meters between our cottages in PEI. In the summer of 2010 she began to 'lose her voice' and have difficulty swallowing. Over the next few months these symptoms worsened which prompted her doctor to bump up her Neurologist appointment.

On November 1, 2010 my mother was diagnosed with ALS - she beat this terrible disease on her own terms when she passed surrounded by her loved ones 16 days later. We truly feel it is a blessing that she passed away without suffering some of the most devastating symptoms of ALS. Just a few days prior to her passing, she cheered on her only grandson as he won a biathalon competition - beating his biggest competition for the first time ever!

On November 17, 2010 the world lost a wonderful mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend.............a fantastic and amazing person

I am showing my support for ALS by participating in this great event and I hope you will too. You can donate to my site and/or choose to participate along with me. Please help us to raise money to support those living with ALS and their families in our community.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, ALS, is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, after the famous American baseball player who died of ALS in 1941. ALS is a progressive and ultimately fatal neuromuscular disease. It causes nerve cells to degenerate. These nerve cells control movement by sending electrical impulses to the muscles. When the motor neurons degenerate, the muscles weaken, resulting in paralysis. ALS is a progressive, fatal, neuromuscular disease, which has no known cause, cure or drug therapy of consequence. Individuals who are diagnosed with ALS do not typically survive beyond 3-5 years. This devastating disease slowly robs the individual of the ability to walk, talk, and ultimately, to breathe.