FRIENDS AND FAMILY HELP FORMER MARATHON RUNNER IN HER BATTLE WITH ALS
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EGG HARBOR TWP.-- The disease ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease was first identified in 1869 and to this day the cause, cure and means of control for the paralyzing disease is still unknown. Jennifer Husko shares the story of an Egg Harbor Township woman who has helped so many people and now needs help in fighting for a cure.

Here's the story of 52-year-old Diane Riportella.

Her tale has many chapters since she moved here to South Jersey just four years ago and found her calling. "Started working with seniors at medical day center and said this is my calling."

In her spare time she managed to fundraise more than $100 thousand dollars for various organizations. "I started doing some fundraisers to bring people together it was great because it was a win win situation."

She even scrambled eggs at ground zero after the 9-11 terrorist attacks and ran many marathons here in New Jersey and across the country. "I would run in honor of someone or in memory of someone."

But it was a marathon in Alaska that put her life in perspective. "I came back with a vengeance I was like so many of us have so much to be thankful for and you're complaining about what?"

The next chapter of her life began when she divorced and rekindled a romance with someone she had met over 20 years ago, the two fell in love and married April of 2007. Just five months after marrying her 'Rocky' Paul, she was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease and for once she had to stop taking care of others and take care of herself. "You always think it could never happen to you...and it wasn't supposed to end up this way for us...we moved out here to start a new life."

Diane has dedicated her entire life to helping others and putting a smile on people’s faces and her mission is to bring light to the debilitating disease. "they have nothing, they have nothing to help us."

And fights against ALS with the help of her family and friends. "There's so many times when I said I wanted to stop, but I can't..."

And so, the rest of her story is still being written...

"I just hope they find a cure in my lifetime or at least something to slow it down…we just try to go along as normal as possible…that's my story and I'm sticking to it."

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed or touched with ALS, there is a support meeting the first Tuesday of every month in Egg Harbor Township.

For more information contact Stephanie Hand at 609-457-9261.

Everyone is invited to attend a benefit in Diane’s honor and to support the fight against ALS at the Flying Cloud Café in Atlantic City Saturday, September 20th from 2 to 6 pm.

video link
http://www.nbc40.net/pages/videoplay...o.php?vid=6876