Professional athletes, friends and celebrities are coming together for a big charity golf tournament at the Newport Beach Country Club 6/12 ALL to benefit the axeALS Foundation. The tournament will include celebrity golfers and attendees, and all proceeds raised from the tournament will go to supporting the axeALS Foundation to help them on their mission to raise awareness and funding for ALS treatments and clinical trials.
The axeALS Foundation was founded by Eric and Amanda Stevens after Eric was diagnosed with ALS at just 29 years old. Their mission is to raise awareness and funding for ALS treatments and clinical trials; to help ALS patients and their families live as full and normal lives as possible; and to encourage research for the prevention, alleviation, care, treatment, and (one day) cure of ALS. Eric is living with ALS, so we understand the importance and urgency firsthand. We want to give the patients a voice, and work together to axeALS!
WHAT IS ALS? ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a rare neurological disease involving the neurons, which control voluntary muscle movement such as chewing, walking, talking and breathing. As ALS progresses, the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord degenerate and die, and as a result, the brain can no longer control voluntary movement. Eventually, the muscles weaken and waste away. In most cases, ALS is a rapidly progressing disease, however, it progresses at different rates for different people. Most people with ALS will live for 3 to 5 years after first experiencing symptoms. The exact cause of ALS is unknown and there is currently no cure. To date there are only two medications approved by the FDA. One helps with day to day symptoms and does nothing to extend one’s life and the other may or may not extend one’s life 2-4 months. There are treatments that have been proven to help stop or slow the progression of the disease, however they are not approved by the FDA and are impossible to obtain. The other option, if one is lucky enough to qualify for would be through a clinical trial in which there is a 50/50 percent chance you get a treatment vs a placebo drug.
*Please donate & find out more at axeals.org
About Amanda Stevens : Amanda Stevens graduated from UC Berkeley in 2013, where she played collegiate soccer for the Bears. She holds a Bachelors of Arts degree from Cal and a CA teaching credential, and a Master of Arts in Teaching with Honors from St. Mary's College of CA. Amanda met her husband, Eric Stevens, at Cal, where he played football. She taught second grade for 7 years in Southern CA, and Eric was an LA City Firefighter after having a short stint in the NFL. Amanda and Eric got married in July of 2019. One month after they tied the knot, Eric was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, at the very young age of 29. After receiving this devastating news, Amanda and Eric were forced to quit their jobs and have now dedicated their lives to fighting this disease. Together they started The axeALS Foundation in 2021. Amanda and Eric are working tirelessly to spread awareness for ALS, raise funds for research and to allow better patient access to treatment, and help other ALS families as they battle this disease. Amanda and Eric have a daughter named Peyton, who turned two in January 2023.
Aired June 11, 2023: Lisa Foxx interviewed Amanda Stevens with The axeALS Foundation. Amanda shared her story and how she and her husband and supporters are doing EVERYTHING they can to extend his life and the life of others living with the deadly ALS disease. EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS. Please give what you can and support these wonderful people, doing the best they can to beat the clock.