Most of facebook are throwing a bucket of water over themselves to raise awareness of the Motor Neuron Disease called Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a progressive neurological disorder that overtime, destroys the cells in the body that are responsible for control of voluntary muscles. Eventually, this results in a progressive degeneration of muscle control in the hands, feet, bulbar muscles (responsible for speech, chewing and swallowing), and so on, ultimately fatal. What would it look like? People presenting with ALS will have a loss of control of their hands, and feet, and ability to hold their body upright. Their speech will become blurry and may even require respiration devices to help them breathe. ALS does not affect the cognitive functions of a person including problem solving, decision making and memory however within 3-5 years of initial diagnosis; most individuals will pass away due to respiratory failure. There is no cure or standard treatment for Motor Neuron Disease but each and every donation will help to even develop a treatment to benefit loved ones to be with their families for that little longer. I hope my post has raised more awareness than 14L of water. I guess that initial shock of pouring water over your head is a symbolic gesture of losing all control of your body for a few seconds similar to the presentation of ALS, minus the cold water? Food for thought! Rinaldo Piasini, Alex Benjamin and Callum Hale, you’re up! Thanks Max Fryer!
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 16:04:26 +0000
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