Tanea Brooks, known to wrestling fans as Rebel, is asking supporters to sign a petition calling for renewed federal funding for ALS research and treatment access before it is delivered to Congress on Monday.
Brooks revealed in May that she had been diagnosed with terminal ALS and has since become an ambassador for patient-led advocacy organization I AM ALS.
After returning home from this week’s special Rebel Heart edition of AEW Dynamite, Brooks posted an urgent appeal on Instagram Friday regarding the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act, commonly known as the ACT for ALS.
“You’ve heard me talking about how important I AM ALS and their bill, the ACT for ALS, means to me. Renewing it will secure another $500 million for ALS research and treatment access,” Brooks wrote. “Even though it has unanimous support, Congress might keep pushing it off until the end of the year or longer. Please sign your name to this petition and tell them that’s not ok.”
Brooks stressed that for people living with ALS, delays in maintaining access to research and potential treatments carry particularly serious consequences.
“ALS deserves your support, and needs it now. We can’t afford to wait. The ALS community needs hope and we need it urgently,” she wrote.
The ACT for ALS is due to expire on September 30. Reauthorization measures have passed both the House and Senate this summer, but differences between the two versions still need to be resolved.
According to I AM ALS, the legislation helps provide access to investigational therapies for patients who otherwise have no available treatment options while also supporting a better-funded and more coordinated ALS research infrastructure. The original legislation was signed into law in late 2021.
Brooks’ advocacy is deeply personal. Rather than supporting the cause solely as a public figure, she is now an ALS patient herself and became an I AM ALS ambassador in June specifically to campaign for renewal of the legislation.
Brooks joined AEW in 2019, initially working backstage as a stylist before becoming an on-screen performer alongside Britt Baker in 2020. Her wrestling career previously included stops with TNA, Ohio Valley Wrestling, Stardom and WWE.
AEW has publicly supported Brooks since she disclosed her diagnosis. The company launched Rebel Heart merchandise, with profits benefiting I AM ALS and Team Gleason, and Tony Khan previously discussed holding a special event to support ALS-related causes in her honor.
That support culminated in Wednesday’s Rebel Heart Dynamite from the Akins Ford Arena in Athens, Georgia, where Brooks reunited with Baker on-screen.
Athens was selected in part because it is home to the University of Georgia’s Regenerative Bioscience Center, which conducts research into potential ALS therapies. AEW also directed viewers toward ALS organizations throughout the broadcast.
Brooks’ campaign comes amid renewed wrestling-industry attention surrounding ALS. The Ice Bucket Challenge has resurfaced over the summer, with names including Sting and Adam Cole participating following former NFL running back Chris Johnson’s announcement of his own ALS diagnosis.
Brooks is now asking wrestling fans to add their names to the I AM ALS petition before it is taken to Congress on Monday.
