When: Mondays from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET
Co-Chairs: Lara Garey (lost her veteran husband to ALS) and Tim Abeska (lost his veteran wife to ALS)
Mission Statement: Raise awareness about veteran-specific ALS issues, educate the public about ALS and veterans, connect veterans with resources to improve their quality of ALS care, and accelerate the development of and access to treatments and cures.
Vision Statement: Become the premier patient-driven organization advocating for veterans affected by ALS and their families, and influence policies and practices intended to end ALSthrough treatments and cures.
The Veterans team is open to anyone who is interested in supporting veterans with ALS and their loved ones. No military service or direct militalty connection is needed.
Goals:
- Raise awareness and improve lives of veterans with ALS through legislative and collaborative actions
- Educate and empower veterans living with ALS, and their loved ones, to help them navigate the healthcare system.
- Raise awareness about the prevalence of ALS among veterans.
- Support policy that improves the lives of veterans with ALS and their loved ones by providing them with resources, increasing funding for ALS research and/or providing easier access to clinical trials.
Accomplishments:
- Worked with I AM ALS to create the VA Checklist for Veterans Living with ALS
- Worked with I AM ALS to create the Planning Guide for Loved Ones of a Veteran with ALS
- Worked with I AM ALS to create I’m a Veteran Diagnosed with ALS — Where Do I Begin?
- Team members Mary Hahn Ward and Lara Garey wrote and published Thinking Through VA Benefits and VA Care to help veterans and their caregivers navigate the VA system.
- Alongside the I AM ALS staff, helped develop the “Understanding Your Risks” and “Understanding and Navigating the VA” resources.
- Created a social media campaign that raised awareness about the increased risk of suicidal ideation among veterans living with ALS and linked people to resources (see example posts here and here).
- Worked with I AM ALS to create a Mental Health Among Veterans with ALS webpage and a corresponding social media campaign (example and example).
- Amplified the stories of Veterans living with, or lost to, ALS. For example, here is the story of Mary Ann Abeska.
- In coordination with the I AM ALS Legislative Affairs Team, advocated for the passage of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act.
- Crafted a Veteran Champion Award to recognize people who go above and beyond to improve the lives of veterans living with ALS and their loved ones. In 2025 this was
renamed as The Brigadier General Thomas R. Mikolajcik Veteran Champion Award, to honor Brig. General Mikolajcik, who died on April 17, 2010, after battling ALS for over six years. To learn
more about the Award and the nominating process, use this link.
What are we working on:
- Developing ongoing collaborative relationships with veteran-centric organizations and raising awareness of ALS within those organizations.
- Ongoing legislative advocacy focusing on matters of importance to the veteran ALS community.
- Developing an informational panel series to raise awareness about veterans and ALS.
- Supporting families who lost a veteran to ALS.
On the Fourth Wednesday of every month from 12 – 1 p.m. CT, I AM ALS hosts a meet up for veterans living with ALS to share their experiences and receive emotional support. Learn more about this meetup.
If you would like to learn about other I AM ALS Community Teams, click here.