Lalaj Family’s ALS Heroes

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Hosts Inaugural MasterMind Summit in Sugar Land

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is one of the most devastating diseases known to man. The median life span is two to five years from diagnosis. ALS is characterized by the loss of motor neuron function leading to the inability to talk, walk, eat, swallow, move and eventually breathe in people with ALS leading to their ultimate demise. Despite 150 years of research and investigation, there remains no known cure or effective treatment for this debilitating disease.

By far, the worst part of ALS is the hopelessness of it: those given this diagnosis are left with no direction or guidance. They are basically instructed to stand idly by as their body betrays them, etching away their functions by the day. For the Lalji Family, this was not an option. Dr. Ayeez Lalji, a dentist and entrepreneur, was diagnosed with ALS in November 2017. With a terminal diagnosis as absolute as this one, many families would have given up. However, the Laljis are no normal family. They have decided to take this tragedy head-on as a mission and a calling. Dr. Ayeez Lalji, in particular, has given nothing but pure grit and dedication to beating and putting an end to this dreadful disease. A loving father and husband, he has always been an inspiration to those around him, and this hardship only furthered this role. For the past year and a half, he has refused to give up when many would have crumbled. He continues to put one foot in front of the other, even though he has physically become unable to do so.

Once Dr. Shelena Lalji, founder and CEO of the Dr. Shel Wellness & Aesthetic Center, got her husband on a strong footing with innovative treatments to help slow down his disease progression and stabilize him, she created ALS Heroes, the Lalji ALS Foundation, with the help of her incredible kids, Zoe and Zade. The Foundation’s mission is to bring awareness, insight and innovation to help patients and families affected by ALS and lead research efforts to find effective treatments and hopefully a cure for ALS. Much of the community had rallied behind the cause in 2014 with the Ice Bucket Challenge, which raised $115 million in efforts to treat ALS. Sadly, that money is now long spent, and we are not much closer to a cure despite a great deal of hard work.

As a part of this endeavor, ALS Heroes held its inaugural, first of its kind, ALS MasterMind Summit February 1-3, 2019 in Sugar Land, Texas. The goal of this incredible summit was to find effective treatments and hopefully a cure for ALS. In doing so, the Laljis brought together 28 of the world’s most insightful clinicians, scientists and key opinion leaders on ALS with the collective expertise in cell signaling, detoxification, nutrition, electrical energy, genetic signature, muscle atrophy, regenerative medicine and infectious diseases for three in-depth and captivating days. The overlying purpose was to dive deep, collaborate and to develop protocols to treat both early and advanced stage ALS patients, as well as give hope to those who currently have none. The group led by Dr. Shelena Lalji brought together the combined expertise and experience of over 180 years of research and clinical applications of addressing the underlying etiologies and the mechanism of ALS.

The ALS MasterMind Summit reviewed the current literature and treatment options, innovative and cutting-edge therapies, in addition to proof of concept case studies that are saving lives by complete or partial reversal/arrest of ALS progression. This included but was not limited to method and timing of detoxification, nutritional support, autoimmune components, plasmapheresis, stem cells and the role of bacteria, fungi and mold in immune response and disease progression.  The pathologies of early and advanced/ late stage ALS present a host of challenges from locomotion, food intake, absorption, infections, triggers, respiratory difficulties, thrombosis, muscle weakness and atrophy and emotional stability that may require stabilization prior to therapy. The MMS team collectively agreed that the cases of complete or partial ALS reversals were due to a multifaceted therapeutic plan that required real-time patient assessment in order to personalize therapy based on patient response (risks and benefits). This included dosing, route of administration, frequency, spatial separation of medications, patient improvement and adverse reactions. This may foster a robust immune response, energy restoration, nutritional uptake and increased respiratory index that can improve patient outcomes.

The ALS summit highlighted early biomarkers, such as gene activity or silencing, protein post modification, the significance of algae, treating Lyme disease, calcium regulation and the role of gallbladder meridian analysis that collectively present a molecular signature of ALS in addition to suggesting that the microenvironment may be driving disease progression. The Lalji ALS Foundation believes that a personalized multidisciplinary approach protocol, that incorporates traditional, functional and Eastern medicine, will synergistically address the hallmarks of disease progression associated with ALS. They are committed to curing ALS in this lifetime. The cure or cures for ALS is no longer seen as an una-

chievable goal once there is collaboration and commitment from all those who are working on it around the world.

ALS Heroes was created on the basis of recognizing and providing for the many ALS patients out there who have been enduring this deplorable condition. They truly are heroes. The organization works hard to improve the day to day quality of life of ALS patients, as well as bring these families hope by bringing forth new treatment options and moving towards a cure. Join the Laljis in their fight against ALS by www.ALSHeroes.com and spreading the word about ALS.