Since joining ALS United Mid-Atlantic’s Care Services team in 2022, Larissa Gibbons has been vital to our mission. As Program Coordinator, she manages the Equipment Loan Program and In-Home Care Grant Programs, ensuring people with ALS receive the support they need.
For Larissa, her work is deeply personal.
In October 2020, her father, Willie, was diagnosed with ALS, instantly changing her family’s life. ALS gradually stripped her father of his abilities, leaving him fully dependent on her mother and others for daily care.
Some of Larissa’s most treasured memories are vacations they took together. After the diagnosis, Larissa and her family made it a point to plan out what they called “bucket list vacations.” One highlight was their trip to Austin, Texas, to see a Formula 1 race. For Larissa, watching a Formula 1 race with her father was a dream come true, since they were both longtime fans. They also traveled to Aruba and the Bahamas, as well as on their annual trip to Ocean City, Maryland.
Now in her professional role, Larissa brings both technical expertise and lived experience. She coordinates the loan of medical equipment, including wheelchairs, lifts, bathroom equipment, and more, with families, vendors, and logistics partners to ensure timely delivery and a proper fit. She doesn’t just understand what’s needed; she’s lived it. Her journey with her father gave her an intimate understanding of ALS’s progression and the real, everyday challenges families face.
Larissa approaches each family with empathy and compassion. For her, this work is a mission rooted in love, loss, and the desire to make a difference.
Each year, Larissa honors her father’s memory by participating in the Lehigh Valley ALS United Walk. For her, it’s more than a fundraiser or community event; it’s a time to remember her father, to walk alongside loved ones, and to raise awareness for those still fighting. It’s also a call to action, supporting vital research with the hope that one day, we will have a cure.
Get to Know Larissa
- Favorite ALS United Mid-Atlantic event: Annual Celebration – last year the Philly Phanatic came!
- Favorite activity: Travelling & Skiing
- Favorite thing to read: Not a reader! But I love listening to True Crime podcasts.
- Favorite TV Show: Not a big TV person now, but I watch every Formula 1 Race!