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  • Did ALS influence your political decisions

    Posted by Amanda on November 5, 2020 at 9:17 am

    Wow, can you believe how long this election is going? It feels like the never ending election.  If you voted in the 2020 election, how did your pALS journey with ALS change your perspective? Did you research rare disease initiatives and find out where each of the candidates stood? Did you search to see if they were willing to focus on improving advocacy, support for caregivers,  health care related to rare diseases and access to treatments in clinical trials? What were your primary concerns regarding who you supported?  (Please no debating who is the better candidate).

    bob-ives replied 3 years, 4 months ago 5 Members · 4 Replies
  • 4 Replies
  • christine-moretti

    Member
    November 6, 2020 at 8:18 am

    I have waited four long years to vote for the Democrat who would run against Trump. It’s been a long national nightmare that I am more than anxious to see end. My personal belief is that we need elected officials who believe in science, believe in research to find treatments and cures for all diseases. ALS research is accelerating. A government that will a partner in that research is vitally important to me.

  • duane

    Member
    November 7, 2020 at 1:17 pm

    Trump was the wrong President for this country. His anti-science and anti-environment approach is not what we need today.  I admit I have not done specific research into the candidates positions on much of anything, since there numerous factors and they constantly change.  We obviously deserve someone else as a President, and research continues and continues, often with very little consequence.  Research for the sake of research to keep researchers continuously employed.

  • jim-knepp

    Member
    November 10, 2020 at 2:57 pm

    The following is my short biography:  “In February of 2010 I was diagnosed with Primary Lateral Sclerosis: there is a debate in the medical community whether PLS is a separate disease or only a precursor to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. My official ALS diagnosis date is April 23, 2014. Little did I know that when I enlisted in the USAF in January of 1967 as a 19 year old college flunk-out that the US Government would be “responsible” for a disease that I would be diagnosed with more than 47 years later.”

    Because I served in the USAF from January 1967 through January 1971, my ALS is considered a service connected disability, I was automatically admitted to the VA health system, and all of my medical expenses (doctors, prescription, durable medical equipment, etc.) are covered by the VA.

    I am a person who believes that healthcare is a right and not a privilege.  The juxtaposition between the candidates and parties as to who wanted to expand healthcare vs who wanted to restrict/deny healthcare was an important factor to me.

  • bob-ives

    Member
    November 10, 2020 at 3:58 pm

    No, ALS was not a factor in my vote in 2020, since I didn’t discern any difference either candidate would make to my health care.  As an 80 year old veteran the VA has been invaluable in making my life as good as it can be under the circumstances … and I never heard either candidate speak of increasing or decreasing VA funding.  I cast my vote based on many other differences, primarily overlooking Trumps (lack of) style and focusing on his accomplishments.

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