Last night my friends Marian Fontana (author of A Widow’s Walk) and Unitarian Minister Tom Martinez (All Souls Bethlehem Church in Kensington) threw a benefit for ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) at the beautiful Palm House at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

The party was also a 50th birthday party bash for friend of theirs who has the disease and was told he would never make it this long. He’s an amazing person, who manages to keep going with optimism and joie de vivre despite the ravages of this disease. As Marian’s 12-year-old son told him, "You have the healthiest spirit of anyone I know."

The event, which was also organized by their friend’s dedicated and loving wife, was called, You Can’t Stop the Love. Marian said that there is probably a  porn film with that name but it perfectly
characterized the spirit of the night. Two Chicks and a Casio performed two hysterical songs and there was stand up comedy as well as a silent auction.

I’d never been inside the Palm House but I’ve looked through the windows of that elegant building for years. It was nice to finally be on the inside at a great party for an amazing cause. If you’d like to donate money email me (louise_crawford(at)yahoo(dot)com. Here’s some information about this terrible disease:

ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that usually attacks both upper and
lower motor neurons and causes degeneration throughout the brain and
spinal cord. A common first symptom is a painless weakness in a hand,
foot, arm or leg, which occurs in more than half of all cases. Other
early symptoms include speech swallowing or walking difficulty.

The biological mechanisms that cause ALS are only partially understood.
The only known cause of ALS is a mutation of a specific gene: the SOD1
gene. This mutation is believed to make a defective protein that is
toxic to motor nerve cells. The SOD1 mutation, however, accounts for
only 1 or 2 percent of ALS cases, or 20 percent of the familial
(inherited) cases.

Familial ALS represents between five to 10 percent of all cases. The
rest arise spontaneously and mysteriously, making seemingly random
attacks on previously healthy adults. ALS can strike anyone, anytime.

Physicians have limited choices for treating ALS, and the options that
do exist have come into use within the last 10 years. Studies suggest
that patients’ length of survival and quality of life are enhanced by
night-time breathing assistance early in the course of the disease and
by aggressive application of alternate feeding options to assure good
nutrition once swallowing becomes difficult. At this time, Riluzole® (Rilutek) is the only drug that has been approved by the FDA for treatment of ALS. In clinical trials, Riluzole® has shown a slight benefit in modestly increasing survival time.