It's been 56 years today that Lou Gehrig died from a disease that would be refered by

[freshprinceofLA]

his name......

R.I.P. Lou you were a great baseball player.

Was the disease named after him because he was the most famous person to die from it or was it because he was the first. I was looking up the original name and its name is Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis which is commonly refered to as Lou Gehrig's disease

[Zoneboy]

Originally Posted by freshprinceofLA

his name......

R.I.P. Lou you were a great baseball player.

Was the disease named after him because he was the most famous person to die from it or was it because he was the first. I was looking up the original name and its name is Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis which is commonly refered to as Lou Gehrig's disease

He probably wasn't the first to die from it but he was the most well known. The only other celebrities I can think of at the moment who died from it were actor Michael Zaslow & MLB pitcher Jim "Catfish" Hunter. For years I always thought it was degrading to Lou Gehrig to name the disease after him.

It wasn't until a few months ago that I learned that Lou wanted everything done to find a cure and he wanted the disease named for him so that gave me a much better understanding as to why it's been that way. I can say that I personally know two people that have died from the disease and it's very sad to watch someone go through the ordeal especially during the advanced stages.

[Jo_Luvs_Ketchup]

This hits me very close, a very close friend of mine, a guy in the prime of his life, is suffering from ALS. It's very hard to see him and especially how quickly it is affecting him. I hope sometime soon they can find a cure for this painful disease.

[catlover79]

This is also a disease close to my heart. My grandfather was diagnosed with ALS in March 2001 at the age of 82 and passed on in November 2002. Our family knows all too well how terrible a disease it is. I'd love to see Pride of the Yankees someday but I don't think I could handle it.

Michael Zazlow and his wife put together a book called Not That Man Anymore, and I recommend it highly. My mom cried all through reading it.

I still can't believe how badly he was treated by the "brain trust" at Procter & Gamble (who own GL & As the World Turns). I found this article on Wikipedia but this story was well-documented in the soap press and other TV publications since 1997. It still angers me how some people can be so heartless and callous.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Zaslow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Alice_Dwyer-Dobbin

[Jo_Luvs_Ketchup]

Originally Posted by catlover79

This is also a disease close to my heart. My grandfather was diagnosed with ALS in March 2001 at the age of 82 and passed on in November 2002. Our family knows all too well how terrible a disease it is. I'd love to see Pride of the Yankees someday but I don't think I could handle it.

Michael Zazlow and his wife put together a book called Not That Man Anymore, and I recommend it highly. My mom cried all through reading it.

I still can't believe how badly he was treated by the "brain trust" at Procter & Gamble (who own GL & As the World Turns). I found this article on Wikipedia but this story was well-documented in the soap press and other TV publications since 1997. It still angers me how some people can be so heartless and callous.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Zaslow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Alice_Dwyer-Dobbin

I just read those. That is terrible!!

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by Jo_Luvs_Ketchup

I just read those. That is terrible!!

I saw red when I first heard those comments - and that was years before my grandpa became ill. The book the Zaslows put together...I can't even describe it. It gives a lot of insight, and...I'm tearing up just writing this. Just go out and read the book - it's worth it.

The ALS Foundation began making bracelets similar to the yellow Lance Armstrong bracelets - "Strike Out ALS". Here's a link:

http://www.alsaupstateny.org/wst_page13.html

[Janice]

"Today, I consider myself the luckiest guy on the face of the earth."


Lou Gehrig's farewell speech.

Audio

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...n%26ie%3DUTF-8

[Zoneboy]

Another actor who died from ALS was Lane Smith who played Perry White in Lois and Clark:The New Adventures of Superman.

[catlover79]

I read that's what David Niven died of.