Diablo Junior Leads ALS Initiative, Supports Patients And Families

Diablo, California — California is home to students who are showing up, standing out and making a real impact in their schools and communities. To celebrate them, Patch and T-Mobile have partnered to spotlight local students excelling in academics, athletics, the arts and beyond.

This submission comes from Erin, who nominated Carson Lee.

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If you know a student who deserves recognition, we want to hear about them! Click here to nominate them to be featured as a Star Student on Patch.

What is the star student’s name?

Carson Lee

What grade is the student in?

11th

How do you know the star student?

Son

Tell us about your star student's accomplishments and why they deserve to be recognized on Patch!

I would like to nominate my son, Carson Lee, a junior at De La Salle High School from Diablo, to be highlighted by the Danville Patch.

Carson lost his sister-in-law to ALS, and rather than letting grief consume him, he turned his pain into purpose. A few years ago, Carson and his older brother founded ALS Care Kits, providing essential items to ALS patients and caregivers. After his brother’s first year, Carson took the reins and has carried the project forward. This past December, thanks to generous donations from Diablo, Alamo and Danville residents, Carson delivered over $2,000 in goods to the East Bay Walk and Roll to Cure ALS event — including resistance bands, long-handled shoehorns and extra-long bendable straws, simple tools that make daily tasks more manageable for those with limited mobility.

Carson’s dedication to the ALS community has not gone unnoticed. He was invited to speak at the ALS Network Walk, where his words were streamed to a national audience, and the ALS Network honored him with a plaque recognizing his outstanding service, spirit and ambassadorship on behalf of the ALS community.

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 tasks and yard work often go undone.

Carson mobilized golf teammates and Boy Scouts to assist Karen Sutton, an ALS patient in Walnut Creek. The boys cleaned out her storage unit, carried boxes to her apartment, 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 was giving away. Karen was quoted on the ALS Network’s website saying that Carson’s volunteers showed that “community, leadership and empathy are alive and well.”

What makes the Days of Service truly special is that it is not about donations — it is about connection. Carson and his volunteers show up in person, roll up their sleeves and remind people that their community stands beside them.

What moved me most as his mother was what happened to the people around him. One volunteer’s mother told me that Carson recruiting her son into a Day of Service had changed his life. Carson does not do any of this for recognition. He does it because he believes showing up for others is simply the right thing to do. Our community is better because of him. In the ALS Network article, Carson is quoted saying, “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.”

Beyond ALS, Carson is completing his Eagle Scout, playing on the DLS Varsity Golf Team and is the founder of a business club, “Next Step,” at De La Salle to help peers prepare for college. He has also served communities in Mexico, San Francisco and locally across the East Bay.

My hope is that an article highlighting Carson’s service will bring awareness to the thousands of Californians affected by ALS. Highlighting the ALS Network and Carson’s Days of Service will hopefully bring awareness to their partnership and the support available to those in need.

What three words best describe your star student?

Purposeful, Humble, Servant-hearted.

Keep up the great work, Carson Lee! If you know a star student who deserves recognition, we want to hear about them! Click here to nominate them to be featured on Patch.

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