Seems like no one has been able to escape the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, including Cincinnati Children’s president and CEO Michael Fisher.
When nominated by Christopher Durovich, CEO of Children’s Medical Center Dallas and Lee Ann Liska, CEO of UC Medical Center, Michael happily accepted, because not only do motor neuron diseases affect adults, they also affect our tiniest patients, in a disease called spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA.
Michael Fisher asked Dr. Steven Crone and members of his research lab if they would be interested in joining him, because they are currently conducting both ALS and SMA research at Cincinnati Children’s. His lab has received funding from the ALS Association, the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation, and Fight SMA.
The team readily accompanied him, because spreading awareness for and the importance of medical research is an important message to tell. In addition to taking the Ice Bucket Challenge, donations were made to the ALS Association, the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation, and Fight SMA.
We were honored to have patients from the Perlman Center, Victor, Simeon, and Gabe, give Michael Fisher and members of Dr. Crone’s lab, Sarah Turner, Kari Seedle, and Lucas Bertaux-Skeirik, the “green light” to douse themselves in ice water.
Michael then nominated two partners on our new Clinical Sciences Building, known as Location T, to take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: Tom Keckeis or Pete Strange of Messer Construction and Carl Satterwhite or Scott Robertson of RCF Group.
Last year, my 68-year-old partner was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease also known as ALS. Speaking and swallowing were two of his challenges. His collapse was swift and catastrophic, and neither the riluzole nor the medical staff did much to aid him. He would not have survived if our primary care physician hadn’t given him attentive care and attention, as the hospital center didn’t provide any psychological support. His fall was abrupt and catastrophic. His hands and legs gave way to weakness in his arms. This year our family physician suggested using vine health centre ALS/MND treatment, which my husband has been receiving for a few months now. I’m delighted to say that the treatment greatly reduced and reversed his symptoms of ALS, he no longer requires a feeding tube, sleeps soundly, works out frequently, and is now very active. In the hopes that it could be useful, I thought I would relate my husband’s tale; in the end, you have to do what suits you the best.