And here it is... The first ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, with a R4000 donation to Rare Diseases South Africa courtesy of Unite180 Colin Kinnear, our FSHD Ambassador, knowing what it is like to have a condition which has no treatment, willed his UGroup Leaders, to take the challenge, AND donate! They have now challenged Hillsong Church Pretoriaand we challenge Bryanston Bible Church (led by Kevin Aldridge and Ross Lester ) to do the same! The idea behind the ALS Challenge was created to raise awareness and educate the public on ALS, as well as raise funds for a possible cure. The reason ICE WATER was used, was to mimic the numbing sensation which ensues with the condition. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrigs Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed. The onset of ALS the symptoms may be so slight that they are frequently overlooked. With regard to the appearance of symptoms and the progression of the illness, the course of the disease may include the following: - muscle weakness in one or more of the following: hands, arms, legs or the muscles of speech, swallowing or breathing - twitching (fasciculation) and cramping of muscles, especially those in the hands and feet - impairment of the use of the arms and legs - thick speech and difficulty in projecting the voice in more advanced stages, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing and swallowing SMS RARE to 38232 to Donate R10. #ALSIceBucketChallenge #ALSeducation
Posted on: Wed, 27 Aug 2014 15:32:53 +0000