Recently, Harper and his family partnered with Racing for ALS to donate more than $6,000 to the Marshall University ALS Clinic, where Harper receives care. The clinic is jointly operated by Marshall Health Network and Marshall University and is the only ALS Association Recognized Treatment Center in West Virginia.
“Jacob’s mission throughout this journey has been to make as big of a splash as possible,” said Dale Harper, Jacob’s father. “His goal is to help promote awareness and patient assistance.”
Jacob Harper’s personal story of strength, bolstered by the Team Jacob Initiative, is driving advocacy, research and a search for a cure. On March 16, 2022, Harper, 23 at the time, was diagnosed with a rare form of ALS. The incurable disease came with a three- to five-year life expectancy. Harper is now in a clinical trial for a drug named ION 363, which Team Jacob is hopeful will slow the disease progression.
According to Team Jacob, its mission is to educate as many people as possible on ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The neurodegenerative disease affects the parts of the nervous system that control voluntary muscle movements such as muscles that are used to move the arms and legs. Harper currently utilizes his eyes to drive an electric wheelchair and to operate a speech generating device for communication.
Through Harper’s strong social media presence, he has raised money for groups in the ALS community, like the ALS Clinic at Marshall University. The money will be used to purchase equipment for patients with ALS and the ALS Clinic.
For more information on Racing for ALS and Team Jacob WV, visit https://daleharper66.wixsite.com/teamjacobwv/about. For more information about the Marshall University ALS Clinic, visit marshallhealth.org/ALS or call 304-696-3246.