Annual ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Until We Find a Cure!

I must admit, at this time last year I perused social media with a hatred for video after video of people dumping ice water on their heads in the name of ALS fundraising and research. It was not that I lacked support for the ALS Association or its goals. In fact, I have high respect for the association and the strides they have made in ALS research. I simply struggled to believe that the hype about the challenge was truly making a difference in the name of ALS.
After learning about ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in neurochemistry class this week I decided to check back in on the ALS Association and the results of last year’s viral Ice Bucket Challenge. The results pleasantly surprised me. In the summer of 2014, more than 17 million people uploaded Ice Bucket Challenge videos to Facebook; the videos were watched by 440 million people, and they were watched more than 10 billion times. The monetary donations gathered from the challenge were all donated to the ALS Association, which provides care to people with ALS, endorses political policies that respond to the needs of those with ALS, and researches ALS to find a treatment and cure for the disease. During the six official weeks of the 2014 challenge, 115 million dollars was raised for the ALS Association. This has energized the research community and accelerated research projects. It also allowed for additional resources to pursue new programs and research ideas.
Due to the major success of the Ice Bucket Challenge last year, the ALS Association declared that the challenge will take place every August until they find a cure. And the ALS community is urging for a cure to the devastating disease. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that innervate the voluntary muscles in the body. As the motor neurons degrade during the progression of ALS, control over voluntary muscles is lost. The symptoms of ALS begin subtly. Muscle fatigue, weakness, increased tripping while walking, or dropping things are the most common symptoms noticed initially. Changes in the voice or trouble swallowing may also occur.
These symptoms progress slowly, escalating into severe muscle twitching and paralysis throughout the body. While it begins as either upper or lower motor neuron degeneration, it will eventually affect both systems, leaving those with the disease unable to walk, move, eat, or breathe. During late stage ALS a ventilator and a feeding tube is needed for respiration and nourishment, respectively. However, senses such as sight, smell, taste, and hearing go unimpaired. The brain and the ability to think remain intact as well.
It does not take much to paint a stark picture of the devastation ALS has on the human body. The urgency of finding a cure is felt by simply understanding the course of the disease, and campaigns like the Ice Bucket Challenge are a way awareness is spread and money is raised. Simply making the disease known to the public, which is what the challenge achieved, is an accomplishment in itself, and I am happy share the news of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge success, along with its plans for future challenges with you. Here’s to hoping the challenge will continue to make a strong impact within the ALS Association as they desperately search for a cure.