She treated most of the original 16 patients. Whether this represents an increase in incidence still needs to be determined. We don't know exactly how many people worked at Kelly over the years. We follow over 100 patients every year at our center, so I'm not sure this is an unexpected amount of people. ALS is a disease in which a person's nerve cells controlling movement die off.
Patients gradually lose control of their muscles until they become paralyzed.
Most patients die two to five years after diagnosis, although one in 10 patients survives for 10 or more years. There is no known prevention or cure, and nobody knows what causes it. One theory is that some environmental factor triggers the disease in genetically susceptible people. Environmental factors abound at Kelly Air Force Base. A plume of contaminated groundwater extends from the base into surrounding downhill neighborhoods, which have elevated rates of birth defects and cancer.