Brian Wallach

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Brian Wallach
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NationalityAmerican
CitizenshipUnited States of America
Alma materYale University
Occupation
  • Businessman
  • Advocate
OrganizationI AM ALS, Synapticure
Spouse(s)Sandra Abrevaya (2013-present)
Children2

Brian Wallach is an American businessman and advocate. He is the founder of I AM ALS,[1] a non-profit that seeks to end Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Synapticure, a company that champions Telehealth to fight the disease.

Early Life

Wallach graduated from Yale University, where he participated in Track and field,[2] and later attended Georgetown University Law Center. He later worked on the first presidential campaign for Barack Obama, where he met his wife, Sandra Abrevaya. He served in the Obama administration before later becoming a federal prosecutor.[3]

ALS Diagnosis

Wallach began experiencing tremors in his hands. In 2017, six months after the birth of his second child, Wallach was diagnosed with ALS at the age 36, on the day his daughter came home from the hospital.[4] He was given six months to live.[5]

Advocacy Work

A year later, Wallach and Abrevaya founded I AM ALS, which became "such a sprawling political operation that it’s hard to believe their work only began in 2018."[6] Wallach has testified before Congress, advocating for the impact of the disease and sharing "what it’s like to live with a fatal diagnosis."[7] Wallach argued that Congressional committees rarely heard from people diagnosed with ALS "because ALS is a relentless churn. We diagnose. We die, quickly. We don’t have time to advocate."[4]

In December 2021, President Joe Biden acknowledged Wallach and I AM ALS in remarks he gave as he signed the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act into law.[8]

References

  1. "Former White House staffer dedicates life to helping others after ALS diagnosis". WGN-TV. 2022-03-03. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  2. "Race to a cure for ALS". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  3. Farrell, Maureen (2022-02-01). "A Race to Rethink Care After a Dire Diagnosis". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Stein, Sam. "He Was Given 6 Months to Live. Then He Changed D.C." POLITICO. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  5. Barrett, Brian. "My Friend Was Struck by ALS. To Fight Back, He Built a Movement". Wired. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  6. "'I'm going to prove you wrong': How a D.C. power couple used an ALS diagnosis to create a political juggernaut". STAT. 2022-01-11. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  7. Bowen, Alison. "To help patients like him, former Obama staffer helps pass law for ALS patients to get quicker access to drugs". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  8. "Remarks by President Biden at Signing of H.R. 3537, the "Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act"". The White House. 2021-12-23. Retrieved 2022-03-09.

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