After being diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a local school teacher’s friends and loved ones have rallied behind her to help out.
Currently, there is no cure for ALS, and for approximately 80% of people, ALS is terminal within two to five years of being diagnosed.
Locals have come together and created and donated to a GoFundMe page that hopes to help her maintain a reasonable quality of life.
“She has been a favourite of many students and faculty over the past 24 years. As per usual with Isabel, she refused to take this diagnosis without a fight," reads the page.
“Immediately she enlisted her family to find a way to combat this any way possible: naturopathic doctors, acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists, physical therapists, respirologists and occupational therapists.”
The page describes an experimental drug that is not available in Canada that may be able to provide her with some more relief.
Radicava (Edaravone) is a treatment for ALS that has shown in studies to slow the decline in the loss of physical function, and has been FDA-approved in the U.S. The cost of the drug is $126,000 per year.
So far, the page has reached $7,130 in donations. To help Isabel fight ALS, go to the GoFundMe page here.
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