News & Stories
Finding Joy in the Fight: Michele Yelland’s Story for National Book Month
October is National Book Month—a time to celebrate the power of stories to inspire, connect, and open our eyes to new experiences. At ALS United NC, we’re proud to highlight one of our community members, Michele Yelland, whose new memoir The Art of Living in the Joy of Fighting ALS shines a light on resilience, joy, and the everyday courage of living with ALS.
Michele was diagnosed in 2024, a life-changing moment that could have silenced her. Instead, she chose to share her voice through writing. “I wanted everyone to know what I was doing every day and to share what ALS really is,” she explains. “A lot of people don’t know much about it—even people I worked with didn’t really understand. Writing the book was a way to give people that insight.”
Writing a memoir about something as personal as ALS isn’t easy. Michele admits the hardest part wasn’t the memories themselves, but the process. “Honestly, the hardest part was just getting everything into some kind of order. I had no clue what I was doing when I started. Each day, if something happened, I’d jot it down, and from there I tried to piece it all together.”
Through her writing, Michele invites readers not only into her story, but also into the daily realities of life with ALS. “I hope they leave with a better understanding of what I—and other ALS patients—go through on a daily basis.”
Still, Michele’s book isn’t just about struggle—it’s about finding joy in everyday moments. “I try to do as much as I can right now, because I know eventually I won’t be able to. So I just go and enjoy life the best I can, until I can’t anymore,” she says. That outlook even carries into her everyday adventures: “The other day I really wanted my nails done. There aren’t sidewalks where I live, and I don’t drive anymore. So I just said, ‘I’m going in my wheelchair,’ and I drove down the road and did it. And I loved it.”
That spirit of independence and joy is what makes Michele’s story so powerful. She admits she doesn’t take “no” for an answer when it comes to living fully: “As long as I can physically get out of the house, I’m going to go out and do something—whatever it is.”
Beyond advocacy and writing, Michele’s passion is the beach. “It’s my number one thing to do. If I could live at the beach, I’d probably move tomorrow,” she says with a laugh.
This National Book Month, we celebrate Michele not only as an author, but as someone whose courage and honesty inspire others to live more fully, appreciate the little moments, and better understand the ALS community.