My mom, Denise Moss, was diagnosed with Bulbar Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Motor Neuron Disease, in May 2025. On April 9, 2026, she lost her courageous battle with this devastating illness.

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. Over time, it takes away a person’s ability to walk, speak, swallow, and eventually breathe.

Despite how deeply it affects so many families, ALS is still not fully understood. Progress depends heavily on research, funding, and support services, making fundraising efforts like this incredibly important.

ALS doesn’t just impact the person diagnosed. It changes the lives of everyone who loves them. It robs people of the everyday abilities we often take for granted. Watching someone you love go through this is something you can never truly prepare for.

ALS took so much from my mom but it never took who she was. Her strength, her spirit, and the depth of her love remained until the very end.

In honour of my mom, my dear friend Emily Pennell and I will be running a half marathon (21KM) on May 23, 2026, in Gander, NL at the Run From Away Marathon, to support the ALS community. The ability to move our bodies and run is a a privilege and it’s a choice that not everyone gets to make.

There is still no cure for ALS. Families like mine need and deserve more. More answers, more support, and more hope.

ALS society of NL provide direct support to people with ALS, their families, and caregivers. They raise funds for patient services and research and aim to increase public awareness and understanding of ALS. The ALS Society of NL also advocates provincially and locally for better government support and access within the healthcare system for people touched by ALS. The ALS society supported my mom and our family throughout her journey with ALS. We are very grateful for their support and their dedication to advocating for those impacted by ALS.

If you’re able to donate or share this page, it would mean the world to us. All funds raised will be donated directly to the ALS Society of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Together, we can raise awareness, support critical research, and move closer to a future without ALS.

Thank you ❤️