The Story Behind The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
|
From Oprah Winfrey to Justin Timberlake, and Christiano Ronaldo to Bill Gates, you almost can't go on YouTube or Facebook without watching the latest celebrity or friend have freezing water tipped over them in a bid to raise funds to fight the illness ALS.
The ALS Association announced today (August 17, 2014) that it has received $13.3 million in donations from over 250,000 people compared to $1.7 million during the same three-week period last year (July 29 to August 17). |
|
In an official letter this week, the ALS Association said: “Never before have been in a better position to fuel our fight against this disease. Increased awareness and unprecedented financial support will enable us to think outside the box.” This is all thanks to one man, Pete Frates and his brave fight against ALS (see the video above). Here is the definitive guide to the reason so many celebrities are stepping up to get iced.
Justin Bieber for ALS
What is ALS?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis affects the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons degenerate and die which makes it increasingly difficult to move muscles. It is the most common form of disease in the motor neurons and in the UK, it is simply referred to as Motor Neurons Disease and the leading organisation is the Motor Neurone Disease Association. MacMillan Cancer Support are also taking donations.
When muscles aren’t used enough, they stop working. Sufferers begin to feel weak, especially in their arms, legs, and during speech, swallowing and breathing. As muscle tissue atrophies, limbs start to get smaller. In the later stages of the illness, patients may become totally paralyzed. Most people with this disease die through being unable to breathe. The average life expectancy is 39 months after diagnosis.
There is no known cause of ALS, though there is a proven hereditary factor in some cases. In about 90 per cent of cases, nobody knows how or why the illness struck. There is also no known cure, though the millions being raised by the ALS association will go towards researching these great unknowns.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis affects the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons degenerate and die which makes it increasingly difficult to move muscles. It is the most common form of disease in the motor neurons and in the UK, it is simply referred to as Motor Neurons Disease and the leading organisation is the Motor Neurone Disease Association. MacMillan Cancer Support are also taking donations.
When muscles aren’t used enough, they stop working. Sufferers begin to feel weak, especially in their arms, legs, and during speech, swallowing and breathing. As muscle tissue atrophies, limbs start to get smaller. In the later stages of the illness, patients may become totally paralyzed. Most people with this disease die through being unable to breathe. The average life expectancy is 39 months after diagnosis.
There is no known cause of ALS, though there is a proven hereditary factor in some cases. In about 90 per cent of cases, nobody knows how or why the illness struck. There is also no known cure, though the millions being raised by the ALS association will go towards researching these great unknowns.
|
In the US it is sometimes known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, named after the all-time great baseball player from the early 20th Century whose time at the top ended when he was stricken with the illness in 1939. Watch the video opposite to see Nick Vujicic (the man with no arms and legs who has motivated millions of people to live a better life) and Billy Graham's grandson do the ice bucket challenge in honour of their friends who are affected by ALS.
|
|
