Planet Depos stepped up to the plate yet again and “made it happen” with its ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, raising an amazing $1,000 to help combat this debilitating disease.
For those unfamiliar with ALS, it is a neurodegenerative disease commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. At trial, physicians may initially refer to it by its medical term, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
For court reporters who love the etymology of words, the ALS Association breaks the term down as: “a-myo-trophic” coming from the Greek language, with “a” meaning no or negative, “myo” referring to muscle, and “trophic” meaning “nourishment,” or “no muscle nourishment.” “Lateral” identifies the areas in a person’s spinal cord where portions of the nerve cells that signal and control the muscles are located, and as this area degenerates, it leads to scarring, hardening, or “sclerosis” in the region.
Advances are being made to slow down the progress of ALS, and one particular clinical trial in Israel has recently been successful at reversing some of the symptoms. That trial just completed Phase IIa, and on August 18, 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved manufacture by Mayo Clinic of NurOwn in preparation for U.S. clinical trials.
Prior to Lou Gehrig announcing his retirement from the Yankees in 1939 after being stricken by ALS, very little was known about the disease. Since then, great strides have been made, and while Stephen Hawking has lived with it for decades, no cure has yet been discovered. Every dollar raised moves forward the prospect for a cure. Planet Depos is proud to be among the many making a difference.