Mijas to host charity event to raise awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Costa del Sol

The event takes place on Saturday 20 June and aims to raise funds, increase public awareness and encourage support for those affected by this disease

Tony Bryant

Mijas is hosting a charity event on Saturday 20 June to mark World Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Day, an initiative with the aim of raising funds for the fight against this disease (ALS).

Observed every year on 21 June, the international awareness day is dedicated to this disease - which currently has no cure - and aims to highlight the medical and social needs of those affected by it.

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  • The event was presented by Juan Carrasco, President of the Benalela association, and the town’s mayor, Ana Mata, who emphasised the importance of research in improving the quality of life of those suffering from this condition, whose life expectancy is between three and four years from diagnosis.

    “The aim, in addition to raising funds, is to increase public awareness and encourage support for those affected by this disease,” explained the mayor.

    Progressive muscle wasting disease

    ALS is an incurable neurodegenerative disease that affects the motor neurones in the brain and spinal cord. The condition causes progressive muscle wasting, eventually leaving patients completely immobile and unable to carry out basic tasks such as eating, speaking or breathing, while their mental and cognitive abilities remain intact.

    ALS affects around 4,000 people in Spain, with approximately 900 new cases diagnosed each year. The average age of onset is between 40 and 70 years, making it the most common motor neurone disease in adults. Its high mortality rate means that, although ALS is the third most common neurodegenerative disease in Spain after Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, the number of people living with the condition is not particularly high.

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