together, we can make a difference for families facing als.
The ALS Youth Project brings young people together to raise awareness about the impactof ALS, inspire compassion and take meaningful action for individuals and families affected by ALS.
It started with grandmarty.
When Mary Martha Nord was young, ALS was already part of her family's story.
Her grandmother, Dr. Marty Nord — or "Grandmarty," as Mary Martha knew her — was diagnosed with ALS in 2009. Mary Martha remembers her grandmother, but she also remembers the things that became part of everyday life after her diagnosis: the wheelchair, the ramp and the other changes her family made to help Grandmarty navigate life with ALS.
Now, as a student at Harpeth Hall in Nashville, Mary Martha turned those memories into action.
She founded the ALS Youth Project to give young people a way to come together and make a tangible difference for families facing ALS. What started with one granddaughter's experience has become an opportunity for a new generation to show up for people in their own community.
Today, the ALS Youth Project mobilizes students and supporters through advocacy, fundraising and community events — turning awareness into action for families who need it.
Living with ALS
What life with ALS looks like.
Patients living with ALS must learn to manage progressive symptoms that can affect their ability to walk, speak, eat and breathe. To keep up, impacted families must continuously invest in medical care and technologies that support the impairments caused by ALS. That’s why our work is so important: it helps these families get the support they need to navigate life with ALS.
of people with ALS need help with daily activities
The ALS Association community survey, 2019
annual health care costs per patient, from early to late stage
Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy, 2024
of people with ALS report being unable to engage in activities they enjoy
I AM ALS patient survey, 2024
Come together for a Cause
From benefit concerts to community fundraisers, ALS Youth Project events give young people — and the communities around them — a way to turn compassion into action.