Hundreds "Walk to Defeat ALS" at Tropical Park
MIAMI - The Walk to Defeat ALS was a success, raising more than $104,000 to help people battling the disease in our community.
Hundreds of Floridians gathered at Tropical Park to walk for a loved one.
The Walk to Defeat ALS is the organization's signature event. All the money raised directly supports cutting-edge research and patient care. In 2022, Walk to Defeat ALS events in Florida raised over $902,000.
CBS News Miami Anchor Najahe Sherman was the event emcee and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava's office announced the ALS Awareness Day proclamation prior to the walk.
Members of the Miami community and individuals living with ALS like Juan Hernandez, are rallying to find a cure for the disease. Hernandez has been the primary caregiver for his mother, who was diagnosed with ALS at age 45.
"'I feel weird, I am getting tongue-tied.' Those words from my mom's mouth initiated the end of our beautiful lives and the beginning of the darkest period that my family has ever endured. At age 45, my mom was diagnosed with ALS. I remember the day we found out. We were confused, scared, and full of questions: What was ALS? How could this impact my mother's life? What did it mean for her? For us? We would soon find out. My mother, full of life, just finished raising her two children, went from feeding herself to being fed, from walking to being paralyzed in bed, from talking to being barely audible," said Hernandez.
ALS has no known cause or cure, but there is hope. For more information on how you can help visit: als.org/florida.