Our Story
The Martha Olson-Fernandez Foundation is a nonprofit organization established to fund amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient care and research. Larry Fernandez and his wife, Martha Olson-Fernandez established the foundation in 2012 in order to find a cure for ALS. Martha was diagnosed with ALS in 2011 and after a tough battle with the disease, Martha passed away on December 17, 2012. She was 49 years old. Martha will always be remembered in our hearts as an incredibly strong woman who loved hiking, motivating others, and teaching life lessons beyond her years. Donations collected by the foundation go directly to the ALS Association Golden West Chapter for patient care efforts and The ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) for research efforts. Please read more about these two partnerships on the research and patient care pages. The Fernandez Family donated the first $100,000 they raised to the Forbes Norris ALS Clinic in San Francisco, California. Martha participated in a clinical trial for the ALS treatment, NP001, at the Forbes Norris Center in 2011 and 2012. The Martha Olson-Fernandez Foundation is run today by Larry and his two daughters, Natalie and Andrea. Please join them in fighting to find a cure for ALS.

