Masha and other people received consultations from a speech therapist

Maria is a girl with inexhaustible life energy. She has a creative profession, Masha works as a clothing designer.

Now Maria has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The first signs of the disease appeared in the fall of 2024, and the diagnosis was made a few months later. ALS, better known as Stephen Hawking disease, is a rare incurable disease in which motor nerve cells stop signaling to muscles. The person gradually loses the ability to move, talk, swallow, and breathe independently.

Masha has a bulbar form of ALS. This means that the disease has primarily affected the neurons responsible for speech, swallowing, chewing. The girl now eats through a gastrostomy - a small hole in the front wall of the stomach, where food and water are introduced through a thin tube. Thanks to this, Masha stopped losing weight rapidly and now feels much better.

The girl is also helped by speech therapy. Maria's speech has changed a lot since the onset of the disease: it has become slurred and quiet. In order for Masha to be able to communicate, she needs to continue seeing a speech therapist. A speech therapist is one of the most important professionals whose help is needed by people with ALS. Speech therapy helps patients retain their ability to communicate for longer.

The Live Now Foundation is opening a collection for 40 speech therapy sessions for Maria and other people with ALS. Let's help them not to lose their speech!