More young people hit with ALS

Tue, September 25, 2007

By JOHN MINER, SUN MEDIA



At 62, Fred Vella thought he'd reached a point in life where he could relax and enjoy retirement after working at Accuride for 40 years.

Then his 25-year-old son Mario received a dreaded diagnosis that changed everything -- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

"Those three words change your entire life, not just for the individual with it, but for the whole family.

"It is not an easy mountain to climb," Fred said in a recent interview at Mario's home in south London.

The stereotype for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is for older people to be hit with the always fatal disease, often relying on their children for care.

The reality is increasing numbers of young people are being diagnosed, requiring older parents to look after them.

"You have to adjust to what the good Lord gives you, you have to work as a team," said Fred.

Athletic and involved in both hockey and football, Mario's first sign of the disease was the loss of muscles in his right leg.

For four years, he was able to function normally, but after his marriage broke down the disease progressed more rapidly.

He now receives care from a helper seven to eight hours a day, five days a week. Although they still have their own home, his parents live with him much of the time to provide care.

Having lived with ALS for 11 years, Mario has already beat the odds. Eighty per cent of the 3,000 Canadians diagnosed with it each year lose their lives within three to five years of diagnosis. "It is just one day at a time," said Mario.

Dr. Michael Strong, chief of neurology at the London Health Sciences Centre and a researcher at the Robarts Research Institute, said the incidence of ALS is on the increase, but scientists aren't sure why.

"Whether there is an environmental link or not, we are not certain. It probably is," Strong said.

"What we are looking at is why we are seeing these rates go up -- are there certain lifestyle modifications that are important, are there dietary risks, certain industrial risks? All of that is being looked at fairly aggressively."

At Robarts, researchers are working to understand what is happening in cells when ALS strikes, causing the motor neurons to die off.

IF YOU WALK

- The London walk for ALS will be held Saturday at Springbank Park.

- The goal is to raise $200,000. Last year, the walk raised $171,000.

- More than 85 family teams are registered and 1,000 walkers are expected to attend.

Contact: Dora Redman, walk co-ordinator, dredman@sympatico.ca

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