Watch: After generations of loss, UW Health patient discovers hope in new, experimental ALS treatment
13 WREX News reports on Michelle Francis' journey from a late diagnosis of ALS — or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — to her move into experimental treatment.
For up to seven generations, the family of Rockford, Wisconsin native Michelle Francis has struggled with the terminal ailment ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, with almost most of Francis’ kin having passed away from the deadly illness. According to Francis, within her family, the first signs of ALS tend to originate in the person’s 30s, but she didn’t experience her first symptoms of ALS until her late 40s.
For the last four years, since her late-age diagnosis, Francis has been slowly losing muscle integrity and is now in dependent on a wheelchair. But upon the announcement of a new experimental treatment program, she and the University of Wisconsin-Madison ALS Treatment Center, where she’s a patient, look to see positive progress at the six to 12-month range.
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