Guest Voice

Guest Voice: I have a new battle plan in my ALS food war

I was never a foodie. Never one to order the lobster gnocchi, a bone marrow rice bowl, or smoked mackerel wrapped in bacon. My preferences were always more pedestrian. Chicken nuggets and tater tots. Fast food hamburgers with a pile of stringy fries. Giant mall cinnamon buns as thick as…

Guest Voice: The ALS progression story we don’t often see

Much of what people understand about ALS progression comes from the stories they see and hear most often — and those stories can be misleading. Social media amplifies the voices of people who have lived with the disease for years, sometimes decades. This makes perfect sense: Slower progression means…

Guest Voice: My ALS speech issues have resulted in unexpected gifts

Until recently, my language skills and speech were best buddies. They were happily and symbiotically entwined, each supporting the other with comfort and ease. Language — the software system — was the one with all the good ideas, reacting to the environment in milliseconds like a gleeful toddler and formulating…

Guest Voice: Often, ALS requires unimaginably difficult decisions

Anita Newton is a retired science teacher who lives near Bristol, England. She taught chemistry for 30 years before retiring when her husband, Craig, was diagnosed with ALS. Her interests range from pickleball, badminton, and table tennis to reading, writing, painting, and crafting. She also enjoys traveling and is…

Guest Voice: Dealing with ALS amid COVID-19 restrictions

Anita Newton is a retired science teacher who lives near Bristol, England. She taught chemistry for 30 years before retiring when her husband, Craig, was diagnosed with ALS. Her interests range from sports like pickleball, badminton, and table tennis to reading, writing, painting, and crafting. She also enjoys traveling…

Guest Voice: Finding purpose in fundraising for ALS

Anita Newton is a retired science teacher who lives near Bristol, England. She taught chemistry for 30 years before retiring when her husband, Craig, was diagnosed with ALS. Her interests range from sports like pickleball, badminton, and table tennis to reading, writing, painting, and crafting. She also enjoys traveling…