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Photos courtesy of Emma Terry.
Terry takes a selfie with her grandfather at his house in July 2022.
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Photos courtesy of Emma Terry.
Emma Terry, at age 6 or 7, with her grandfather Stewart Simpson on his front porch.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
Emma Terry, crowned Miss Hoover 2025, holds a photo of her grandfather Stewart Simpson. Simpson was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS, and lived with the disease for 22 years before his death this April. Terry honors his memory by advocating for others struggling with the disease.
One of the people who has had the greatest impact on Emma Terry’s life is someone she has never heard speak: her grandfather.
Her grandfather Stewart Simpson, whom she called Grandy, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS, right before she was born and lived with the disease for 22 years. He died this past April at 86.
As Miss Hoover 2025, Terry said she hopes to continue sharing his story and supporting others like him who have ALS. Through her community service initiative, Stomping Out ALS One Step at a Time, Terry raises awareness about the disease and funds to battle it.
“The time I had with him was such a gift,” Terry said. “It was so hard not just for me but for my entire family to see the disease progress the way that it did. As I was becoming more independent, he was becoming more dependent on me and my family.”
Photos courtesy of Emma Terry.
Emma Terry, at age 6 or 7, with her grandfather Stewart Simpson on his front porch.
Terry said she never saw him walk on his own, and one of her earliest memories of her grandfather was helping him get out of the floor when he fell. Her grandfather used an iPad and dry erase board to communicate, sharing his wisdom, stories and love for sports with her. As a caregiver for someone with ALS, Terry recalls how those experiences helped shape her.
“It’s taught me how to be a resilient person because I saw someone who I loved most in the world fight every single day,” Terry said. “He was never going to give up that fight. To see him be able to smile through a disease like ALS taught me to be grateful to walk, talk and appreciate the independence I have.”
Terry grew up about five minutes away from her grandparents’ house in Odenville and said she was often there more than she was at her own home. She spent summers with them, practiced cooking with her grandmother and learned a lot about life. One important lesson her grandfather taught her was to build a higher road and leave the world a better place than how she found it.
“It’s the motto I live by,” Terry said. “You don’t build that higher road for yourself. You build it for others and the community.”
She has had the opportunity to share about her grandfather and his fight against ALS as a participant in many pageant competitions. In addition to winning Miss Hoover 2025, Terry also was named Miss Jefferson County 2024, first runner-up for Miss UAB 2023 and first runner-up for Miss Alabama 2024.
While her grandfather was never able to watch her compete on stage, Terry said he was proud of all she accomplished.
“He would give me the double thumbs up,” Terry said. “That was Grandy’s stamp of approval.”
That also included the work she did to raise funds and awareness for ALS. Her service initiative started when she posted her video doing the ALS “ice bucket challenge” in her grandparents’ driveway. Since then, she has raised funds by being a team leader for the ALS Association’s Walk to Defeat ALS in Birmingham each year and hosted events like the annual Drive Out ALS Cruise-In at The Shops of Grand River.
Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
Emma Terry, crowned Miss Hoover 2025, holds a photo of her grandfather Stewart Simpson. Simpson was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS, and lived with the disease for 22 years before his death this April. Terry honors his memory by advocating for others struggling with the disease.
Terry also held a high-performance car race called Stewart’s Race: Racing for ALS at Barber Motorsports Park in August, which attracted more than 100 drivers and raised about $35,000 in one weekend. Terry said her grandfather loved cars, so the events seemed like the perfect fundraisers to honor him.
Even though her grandfather is no longer with her, Terry isn’t slowing down with her efforts to support ALS patients and research. In July, she participated in the ALS Association’s CEO Soak in Huntsville, which raised $55,000.
Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
Emma Terry, crowned Miss Hoover 2025, holds a photo of her grandfather Stewart Simpson. Simpson was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS, and lived with the disease for 22 years before his death this April. Terry honors his memory by advocating for others struggling with the disease.
Terry’s involvement with the CEO Soak helped the group surpass their participation and fundraising goal, said Janet Thorn, the managing director of care services for the ALS Association.
“Emma is always willing to participate in any event we have to raise awareness of ALS and funds to assist people living with ALS,” Thorn said. “Working with Emma is delightful as she always brings positive energy and a smile.”
Having cared for her grandfather during his battle with ALS, Terry is able to pull from her own life to help others — something that shines through in her work, Thorn said.
“Her personal experience with ALS … lends much credibility and zeal as we work to find a cause and cure for this devastating disease,” Thorn said.
During her time serving as Miss Hoover, Terry will have the chance to reach more people in the community and beyond.
“I’m so honored to be able to share my grandfather’s story,” she said. “It’s so easy to take really hard moments and get lost in them. But you have to keep the compass going in the right direction and keep going even though it’s hard sometimes. It’s a new chapter, and I’m honored to get to tell his story.”
It’s so easy to take really hard moments and get lost in them. But you have to keep the compass going in the right direction and keep going even though it’s hard sometimes. It’s a new chapter, and I’m honored to get to tell [my grandfather’s] story.
EMMA TERRY
From ALS fundraisers to community events, residents will have the chance to see Terry around town and beyond during her time as Miss Hoover.
“I am so encouraged to see the support this incredible city shows the title holder,” Terry said. “I’m very excited about sharing about Stomp Out ALS in Hoover and providing more educational resources.”
Follow her reign as Miss Hoover and her ALS work on Instagram at @MissHoover2025 and @StompingOutALS.
