One woman’s story of confronting her genetic legacy and searching for a cure
Award-winning ALS activist and author Mindy Uhrlaub today launched her new book, Last Nerve: A Memoir of Illness and the Endurance of Family (River Grove Books). While caring for a sick mother, a son with behavioral problems, and a husband going through cancer treatments, Mindy discovered that she carries a gene for the fatal neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Last Nerve walks readers through how Mindy navigated the new territory of having three close relatives with life-threatening situations, and had to come to terms with the fact that she may have passed the fatal gene on to her two sons.
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Last Nerve: A Memoir of Illness and the Endurance of Family
Not one to fold, Mindy faces her circumstances head-on, realizing that her race for the elusive cure for ALS is not only for herself but also for her kids, her cousins, and the thousands of other carriers of the fateful gene. Despite the incredible strain of all these challenges, Mindy manages them with amazing tenderness, persistence, and love. Far from a depressing story of misfortune, Last Nerve is as uplifting and witty as it is raw and real. It’s a testament to hope, the endurance of family, and the resilience of the human spirit.
Early reviews for Last Nerve praise the book as a “heart-warming memoir of motherhood, ALS, and never backing down” (Publishers Weekly), and as a “complex and thoughtful remembrance about how family members can help one another through the worst of times” (Kirkus Reviews). Foreword also described Last Nerve as “uplifting in tone despite its grim subject matter, the book focuses on hope and resilience.”
To learn more, please visit www.mindyuhrlaub.com or order Last Nerve at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Additional Praise for Last Nerve
“Mindy Uhrlaub’s powerful and inspiring memoir is a work of courageous transformation. She deepens her soul by turning her pain into power and ardently committing herself to the struggle against ALS for the legacy of her mother, for herself, and for all those suffering from the disease. We are grateful.”– V (FORMERLY EVE ENSLER), author of The Vagina Monologues and Reckoning
“The author’s bulldog spirit summarizes it all. This beautifully written memoir shines light on her unrelenting courage and resilience to fight for societal and personal causes that are dear to her. It serves as a reminder for medical professionals to treat every individual with compassion and respect, because behind every individual seen in research or clinic lies a complex tapestry of arduous battles fought daily, unwavering love, and importantly, hope.”– Suma Babu, MBBS, MPH, ALS neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital
CONNECT WITH MINDY: Contact Bonnie Rice at Elevate Communications, brice@elevatecom.com
- Interview: Schedule an interview with Mindy Uhrlaub about Last Nerve
- Review: Reach out for a digital or hard copy of Last Nerve
- Excerpt: If interested in publishing an excerpt from Last Nerve, indicate the chapter you would like to include
About Mindy Uhrlaub
Mindy Uhrlaub is a founding member of End the Legacy. Her debut novel, Unnatural Resources, won the 2021 NYC Big Book Award for Cultural Heritage. Mindy also received the 2025 Harvey and Bonny Gaffen Advancements in ALS Award from the Les Turner ALS Foundation. She lives in Northern California with her family.
Follow Mindy at https://mindyuhrlaub.com, on X @MindyUhrlaub, and on Instagram @Mindywrites1.
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Contacts
Bonnie Rice
Elevate Communications
brice@elevatecom.com
