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The ALS Association will host a presentation about the ALS Registry in Honolulu from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday in the Hibiscus Room at the Ala Moana Hotel.
Those who have been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, and their families are encouraged to sign up with the registry.
Congress passed an ALSâRegistry Act four years ago, said Elroy Chun, a volunteer whose wife, artist Peggy Chun, died from ALS, a debilitating motor neuron disease.
Peggy Chun, a watercolor artist, used a paintbrush between her teeth after losing the use of both hands.
"It’s a horrifying disease," he said. "We want to make families in Hawaii aware of the disease."
ALS, a progressive ailment that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and eventually leads to death, affects many individuals and families in Hawaii.
"The registry will identify persons who have it and to help them get the kind of help they need," Chun said.
For information, call the Hawaii chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association at 593-4454.