2025 Columbus WalkALS: Mrs. Nadia Long

Nan Douridas (1951-2006)

Thank you for helping me reach my Walk ALS fundraising goal! Walk ALS raises funds to support those affected by ALS and to spread awareness of the urgency to find treatments and a cure. I have been walking since 2004 and won't stop until there is a cure.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease that slowly robs the body of its ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe. The life expectancy of a person with ALS averages 2 to 5 years from the time of diagnosis. ALS can strike anyone, and presently there is no known cause or cure.

In 2003, my mom Nan Douridas was diagnosed with ALS. She walked (rolled) with us in 2004 at our first walk as Team Nan's Fans. Unfortunately her disease progressed and ALS took her life in 2006. My mom, age 54, never got to see her two sons get married. She never got to see her grandchildren be born. She was gone too soon, a life ravaged and claimed by this devastating disease. That's why I'm walking. To change the statistics. Today, ALS is a death sentence! Maybe tomorrow there will be a new drug or treatment to give those with ALS hope and life! I walk to bring help and hope to those living with the disease.

The past several years have brought incredible advancements in ALS research, expanded access to care for people living with ALS, and enabled legislation that impacts the quality of life of people with ALS and their families.

But we can't stop now. The key to a cure begins with YOU.

Your gifts and fundraising to WalkALS do soooo much:

Because of YOU, people with ALS receive:

One-On-One Case Management

ALS Multidisciplinary Clinics

Durable Medical Equipment Loans (no cost to the patient)

AdaptAbility Items, Augmentative Communication Technology

Smart Home Technology

pALS to pALS Equipment & Supply Exchanges (like “Marketplace” for donating and exchanging equipment)

Adaptive Dining Kits

Patient Grant Program (for disease related expenses)

Education & Exchange Group Meetings

Small Group Support Meetings

Caregiver Support

Resources for Children & Teens of pALS

Bereavement Support

State and Federal Advocacy

Recruitment for National ALS Registry

Insurance Navigation

Veterans Support

Pipeline to Clinical Trials,

Training for Healthcare Professionals

Social & Community Connection ( WalkALS and other community events)

Please consider walking with me or sponsoring me in memory of my mom. With your help, we will be able to make a difference in the lives of people affected by this disease.

Walking in Memory of My Mom Nan Douridas