At the end of October, my brilliant, brave, and beautiful friend Angelina Fanous will be embarking on a two-week journey to Chilean Patagonia through Team Gleason, an incredible charity that aims to raise public awareness about ALS by providing and documenting life adventures for people living with the disease.

I am beyond privileged to be accompanying Angelina on her journey, to bear witness to the difficulties and triumphs of traveling with ALS, and to document her adventure. As an activist and journalist herself, Angelina has an incredibly powerful and resilient voice and is uniquely qualified to share her story with the world.

Angelina was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) 6 weeks after her 29th birthday. The disease attacks upper and lower motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. People diagnosed with ALS lose their ability to initiate and control muscle movement, leading to paralysis and eventually death.

Angelina has always been fiercely independent, continually defying expectations despite her diagnosis. Travel is absolutely essential to who she is and we are both so grateful for the opportunity Team Gleason has so generously facilitated.

While a cure or treatment still remains elusive, ALS is not an incurable disease. It is an underfunded one. Please donate to Team Gleason in honor of Angelina's adventure so they can continue doing their invaluable work for others going forward. Feel free to share this page with family and friends. Follow our adventure in Patagonia on Instagram @ teamgleason and on my personal page @ danifinks starting October 30th and look out for more in depth coverage when we return. And most importantly, help us continue to fuel a global conversation about ALS and ultimately find an end to this horrible disease!

With gratitude and love,
Danielle