Shalom Sababa!
About a week ago, many of us were participating in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge at encampment. But how many people actually know if it’s actually affected the ALS Association, or even what ALS actually is? ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Although it was first discovered in 1869, it was Lou Gehrig, a popular baseball player, who brought national and international attention to ALS. ALS is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal chord that control voluntary muscle movement. Motor neurons go from the brain to the spinal cord, and from the spinal cord to muscles throughout the body. As ALS progresses, the motor neurons die, which leads to the loss of the brain’s ability to initiate and control muscle movements. In later stages, some patents even become totally paralyzed. Although there is no known cure (yet!), there are treatments, such as a medicine called Rilutek, which can slow the disease’s progression. According to the ALS Association, $100 million had been received in donations as of August 29th, thanks to over 3 million donors! According to Barbara Newhouse, the ALSA’s CEO, the money is “invest[ed] prudently in helping people with ALS and their families and caregivers in the battle against the disease, while resolutely pursuing all avenues to extend, improve, and ultimately save lives.”
If you’re interested in learning more about ALS, and the Association, the ALSA website is a great resource: http://www.alsa.org
About a week ago, many of us were participating in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge at encampment. But how many people actually know if it’s actually affected the ALS Association, or even what ALS actually is? ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Although it was first discovered in 1869, it was Lou Gehrig, a popular baseball player, who brought national and international attention to ALS. ALS is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal chord that control voluntary muscle movement. Motor neurons go from the brain to the spinal cord, and from the spinal cord to muscles throughout the body. As ALS progresses, the motor neurons die, which leads to the loss of the brain’s ability to initiate and control muscle movements. In later stages, some patents even become totally paralyzed. Although there is no known cure (yet!), there are treatments, such as a medicine called Rilutek, which can slow the disease’s progression. According to the ALS Association, $100 million had been received in donations as of August 29th, thanks to over 3 million donors! According to Barbara Newhouse, the ALSA’s CEO, the money is “invest[ed] prudently in helping people with ALS and their families and caregivers in the battle against the disease, while resolutely pursuing all avenues to extend, improve, and ultimately save lives.”
If you’re interested in learning more about ALS, and the Association, the ALSA website is a great resource: http://www.alsa.org