Meet Carson Lee, a junior at De La Salle High School, Diablo, CA resident, and brother-in-law to Alyssa Jeswald-Lee, who lived with ALS for four years.
When Alyssa was diagnosed with ALS in 2018, her husband Taylor and their family experienced firsthand the physical, emotional, and financial toll of the disease. Watching his brother and sister-in-law walk together through thick and thin, Carson found inspiration in their love and commitment.
Over the next few years, the Lee family connected with the ALS Network and raised awareness through fundraising efforts, Walk & Roll to Cure ALS events, and have become key members & speakers at the East Bay Walk & Roll to Cure ALS. Following her passing in 2022, Carson channeled his grief into action, determined to ease the burden for other families facing the same challenges.
In 2023, Carson and his brother launched ALS Care Kits, providing essential items to individuals living with ALS and their caregivers. This past December, thanks to Diablo and Danville residents’ generous donations, the duo delivered over 2,000 items at an ALS Network walk, including resistance bands, long-handled shoehorns, and extra-long bendable straws – simple tools that make daily tasks more manageable for those with limited mobility.
“Sometimes, the smallest things make the biggest difference – a tool someone didn’t know existed, an errand that gets run, a household project that finally gets done. Those things may seem small from the outside, but to a caregiver running on empty, they can feel like everything. I hope I can provide a little relief to someone who needs it.”
– Carson Lee
This January, Carson launched ALS Days of Service, partnering with the ALS Network to find families who need hands-on help. With caregiving costs largely uncovered by insurance and time consumed by daily caregiving needs, routine projects like household projects and yard work often go undone.
Earlier this March, Carson recruited several of his golf & Eagle Scout peers – Erin, Jen, Logan, Cade, Harrison, Carson, Matthew, Henry, and Joe – to assist Karen Sutton, an ALS Network board member living with ALS, at her home in Walnut Creek. Together, the group helped clean out her storage unit, carried boxes to her home, built shelving, and organized her belongings.
Along the way, they heard stories and memories from Karen’s life, and even went home with some San Francisco 49ers gear she gifted them. Leaving the experience fulfilled and renewed in his conviction, Carson has since started outlining his next project, and plans to assist Karen once again.
“I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to seven incredible young gentlemen who generously volunteered their time to help a person living with ALS. Your time, hard work, and servant hearts made a real and lasting difference. Acts like these remind us that community, leadership, and empathy are alive and well. We are deeply grateful for each of you.”
– Karen Sutton, living with ALS
For his outstanding community service, spirit, and ambassadorship in support of the ALS community – work inspired by a deeply personal loss – Carson was awarded a plaque at the East Bay Walk.
“There are heroes everywhere in the ALS community, and there are silver linings you never expect to find. There is something remarkable about people who face something that is hard and still choose joy. To anyone considering getting involved — do it. I promise you will leave more inspired than before.”
– Carson Lee
