What is the Angel Fund?
The Angel Fund is a totally volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting ALS investigations at the Cecil B. Day Laboratory for Neuromuscular Research at Massachusetts General Hospital, internationally recognized for its ground-breaking work in the fight against this devastating illness. The Angel Fund accomplishes this mission through fund-raising events and campaigns; acting as a conduit to the Day Lab for funds raised by associated events, and through public awareness initiatives such as direct mail programs, media relations and this Web Site.
The Angel Fund was established in 1997 by Ginny Delvecchio, herself an ALS patient. Ginny knew ALS all too well: both her mother and her brother had died of the same illness. Ginny’s spirit prevailed, however, and she worked tirelessly raising awareness of ALS and funds for research until the disease robbed her of the ability to do so. She died of ALS in August of 1998.
Since Ginny’s death, the Angel Fund has attracted growing support. It is infused with the energy and commitment of people, many of them personally touched by the tragedy of ALS, who are determined to prevail against this disease.
What is ALS?
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is sometimes known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease after the baseball great who died of it in 1942. Gehrig’s celebrity status generated some public awareness about this relatively obscure but devastating disease.
ALS is a progressive and ultimately fatal neurological disease that attacks the motor neurons in the brain, brain stem and spinal cord. The resulting motor neuron loss causes increasingly debilitating paralysis as the muscles of the body waste away. Death comes when victims lose critical functions such as the ability to swallow and ultimately, to breathe.
ALS is particularly insidious because the intellect remains intact throughout the course of the disease. Victims are cruelly aware of their fate as they gradually lose the ability to control their muscles, to communicate, and eventually to breathe.
An estimated 300,000 Americans, alive and apparently well today, will die from ALS. ALS can strike anyone—of any age, ethnic origin or gender. Approximately 90% of cases appear sporadic, while 5-10% of cases are familial, occurring more than once in a family. ALS typically appears in middle age and most victims die within two to five years of the onset.
The cause of ALS is unknown. There is no known effective preventative treatment, and there is no known cure. There is, however, promising research currently underway. Your support can help advance this important work to find a cure for ALS.
How Can I Help?
The Angel Fund accepts help in many different ways. Every day, normal people make an extraordinary difference against ALS, and you can be one of them...
Donations
Please consider making a donation, however small. The Angel Fund is a non-profit organization that directly benefits the Day Neuromuscular Research Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital. Your donation will make a significant difference toward research at the Day Lab. Use the secure online donation system, or if you would like to send a check, please mail it to:
The Angel Fund
649 Main Street
Wakefield, MA 01880
Lisa Courtenay, Admin: (781) 245-4545
Paul DelVecchio, Exec Director: (781) 279-1422
Volunteer
The Angel Fund hosts many functions and benefits throughout the year, in which the proceeds go directly to the Day Lab. We need your help running these events, such as the "IRT Tour Events".