Neil Alexander’s vision of leaving ALS better than he found it began when he was diagnosed with the disease at 46 years old. A decade has gone by since his passing, yet his influence and vision remain as powerful as ever. Neil was not only a devoted husband, father, brother, lawyer, and friend, but also a man with a mission. Together with his wife, Suzanne, and children, Abby and Patrick, he worked tirelessly to create an enduring impact, ensuring that their work would leave a legacy for decades to come.
When the doctor delivered Neil’s ALS diagnosis, he offered one piece of advice: go do what you love. For Neil, a lifelong baseball fan, especially of the Pittsburgh Pirates, that meant delving deeper into the life of the Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig. Once Neil heard Gehrig’s famous words from his farewell speech, “I am the luckiest man on the face of this earth,” his perspective on the trajectory of his life and ALS changed.
After learning about Lou and all the great things he did, Neil and Suzanne were amazed by Lou’s amount of gratitude despite the odds he was facing. Neil was inspired to help others fighting the same disease and to live more like Lou. It was then that Suzanne came up with the name of "Live Like Lou."
When Neil and Suzanne created LiveLikeLou.org, they set out to raise awareness for ALS, fund research, and support families facing an ALS diagnosis. What began as a vision has continued to thrive 13+ years later.
Fast forward to today, the Live Like Lou Foundation was created in late 2017 in partnership with Lou Gehrig's Fraternity, Phi Delta Theta. As a national nonprofit, Live Like Lou continues to honor Neil’s legacy and the Alexander family's vision by funding early-career scientists studying ALS, supporting families affected by Lou Gehrig's disease, and raising awareness.
What began as the Iron Horse Award scholarship program has grown to award 91 total students from ALS families with Iron Horse Scholarships and Onward Awards, totaling nearly $500,000 in college scholarships funded since 2019. In line with Neil’s vision of advancing research, we’ve granted more than $8 million to fund groundbreaking ALS science and hosted our biennial ALS Research Symposium three times, where over 100 early-career scientists attended in 2024 to collaborate and push the boundaries of ALS research.
Every day, we remember our founder, Neil Alexander, and his vision of leaving ALS in a better place by helping those impacted by the disease. His dedication keeps us going, pushing us to create a world where ALS doesn’t take lives too soon, where families have hope, and where meaningful progress is made in research. Neil’s legacy is at the heart of everything we do, and we’re proud to carry his mission forward and Live Like Lou.
