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May 9, 2007

Stephen Hawking To Highlight Lou Gehrig's Disease

Topics: Human Interest

IsrALS, an Israeli association dedicated to finding a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease), has announced that world renowned paralyzed British cosmologist, Stephen Hawking, who is in a wheelchair and speaks with the aid of a computer and voice synthesizer - will appear in a commercial to promote world awareness of muscle-wasting motor neuron disease:

[...] It will mark the first time in the 40 years since he was diagnosed with the paralysing disease that Hawking will participate in such a campaign, said IsrALS, which is

Hawking, 65, will appear in two short clips to be filmed at Cambridge University, where he is Lucasian Professor of Mathematics - a post once held by Sir Isaac Newton.

"The move marks the recognition of British scientist, Professor Stephen Hawking, a well known sufferer of ALS disease, of a real opportunity for a scientific breakthrough in the research of the disease," IsrALS said.

[...] "A hundred and fifty people die in Israel every year from ALS and many more in Britain. But nevertheless the disease is largely neglected by pharmaceutical companies and the scientific community," IsrALS head Nir Tirosh said.

"We will hand over for free the clip to every ALS association in the world, every TV channel in the world that will be willing to use it," he said.

There is presently no cure for ALS, and no treatment has been shown to significantly alter the course of the disease. However, much can be done to help maintain quality of life and to retain functional ability even in the face of progressive weakness which is one of the hallmarks of the disease.

More on ALS here...

Links: ALS Association

Posted by Richard at May 9, 2007 9:40 PM

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