Als

Audio Spongebob Creator And Hsu Grad Diagnosed With Als; Humboldt’s Last Week Of News

... the statement. “We ask that our sincere request for privacy be honored during this time.”. Stephen graduated from HSU in 1984 with a marine-science major and art minor. He pitched his show idea to Nickelodeon in 1996 and the series premiered in 1999. As of 2015 the Emmy award-winning show has generated over $12 billion in merchandising revenue for Nickelodeon, according to Bloomberg. Among other generous efforts his foundation United Plankton helped fund renovations to the HSU Marine Lab. A few years back I interviewed Stephen about his experiences in Humboldt County. “When I remember my time in Humboldt, I remember rain, Top Ramen, and the library,” he said. “I’m kidding, but the rain is significant because without it there would be no redwoods. Humboldt has incredibly rigorous science programs. It has dedicated teachers and students. Fortunately for me the school is not only surrounded by redwood forests, but it sits along an incredible part of the California coast. There are bays, estuaries, undeveloped coastline and open ocean and, of course, HSU utilizes the availability of these resources in their ...

A Potential Biomarker Of Als Progression

... urine p 75 ECD measurements to the levels of creatinine, a byproduct of muscle metabolism, in order to account for people’s hydration level. ALS patients had an average 5.6 ng of urinary p 75 ECD per mg creatinine, compared to 3.6 in controls (see image below). The assay yielded the same measurements for patients regardless of what time of day the samples were taken, whether the samples underwent freeze-thaw cycles, or were stored at varying temperatures. This suggests the assay is robust, wrote the authors. Of the 54 ALS patients, 31 gave up to five additional urine samples, each taken a few months apart. As their disease worsened, p 75 ECD levels went up by about 0.19 ng/mg creatinine per month. Spaghetti plots showed that levels rose steadily in almost every patient tested during a period of 30 to 50 months. By comparison, cross-sectional data from the controls suggested an age-related p 75 ECD increase ...

Spongebob' Creator Stephen Hillenburg Diagnosed With Als

... Stephen Hillenburg — nominated for nine Emmys for his contributions to the beloved Nickelodeon cartoon — announced Monday he has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurological illness commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease or ALS. In a shot press statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter , Hillenburg, 55, revealed his diagnosis while thanking fans for their support, and indicated his work on the long-running children’s program is still a priority. “I wanted people to hear directly from me that I have been diagnosed with ALS,” Hillenburg’s statement reads. “Anyone who knows me knows that I will continue to work on Sponge Bob Square Pants and my other passions for as long as I am able. My family and I are grateful for the outpouring of love and support. We ask that our sincere request for privacy be honored during this time.”. According to the ALS Association , the disease was first discovered by French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot in 1869, though the diagnosis of famed baseball player Gehrig in 1939 brought ...

Family Rallies Around Mansfield Father Fighting Als

... others after being diagnosed with a crippling disease. Mike Romero was an avid golfer and owned a construction company. One day, he felt his shoulder trembling and then his legs started to cramp. After numerous tests, Mike found out he has ALS. Just over a year later, he's out of work and his wife had to leave work to take care of him. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. As it progresses, people may lose the ability to speak, eat, move and breathe. “When they come in that room with the piece of paper basically to confirm it and basically say, ‘Go home and enjoy your family because here in America there's no cure, no treatment.’” Mike said. “So, it was tough. It was tough.”. The Romero family isn't giving up hope. “The frustration is a big part of it,” his wife Stephanie said. “I try to not get him frustrated. I want him to be happy.”. With help from a student fundraiser at Mansfield High School, where Mike’s son is a senior, Mike is well on his way to raising the $35,000 he needs to take part in a stem cell procedure in Thailand. Mike says it could save his life. ...

What Is Als? Explaining The Disease That Afflicts Dwight Clark

... announcement Sunday night that he has been diagnosed with ALS surprised many 49 ers fans — who may be wondering what the condition entails. Related Articles. Here’s a deeper look at ALS, with background information gleaned from the ALS Association website and a Bay Area News Group feature on the disease. How ALS affects afflicted. It severely hinders motor function, making such activities as moving, eating and breathing difficult. The degenerative affliction is a progressive weakening of the muscles caused by nerve degeneration. Early symptoms include weakness in the arms or legs, slurred speech and trouble chewing and swallowing. Over time, muscles stop responding. The disease does not affect the heart, but it does attack the respiratory system. ALS patients often die of pneumonia. The disease commonly is diagnosed about two years after symptoms begin and 50 percent of patients die within three to five years of diagnosis. Twenty percent live five years or more and up to 10 percent will live more than 10 years. How ALS is diagnosed. There is no one test or procedure to establish a diagnosis of ALS. A series of clinical ...

Man's Legacy Carries On 5 Years After Death From Als

... his wife, Maureen, in December 2008 when he experienced what he thought was a pulled muscle in his calf. Over the next nine months, his leg issues grew worse, he began losing his balance and his speech began to slur. The following September, he got the diagnosis he was dreading. One of the first people he called was Sacks, who was vacationing at the time in Mammoth, and asked if he could break the news to their circle of friends. During those four hours of phone calls, Sacks said most of their friends said they’d never heard of ALS or they didn’t realize its devastating consequences. Sacks said it took a while for Ramirez to come to terms with the diagnosis and eventually take action. “When I sat down with him the first time after the diagnosis, he seemed at peace. He said ‘I’m done. I’ve lived a great life and ...

Former Eagle’s View Football Coach Ryan Keith Dies After Lengthy Als Battle

... football coach Verlon Dorminey. “Very, very intelligent. He loved the game, had a real passion for the game, a passion for weightlifting. It didn’t matter who you were, he worked hard with every kid. Whether you had a little talent or a lot of talent.”. Keith resigned as a head coach following the 2013 season, although he wound up back at his alma mater, Trinity, after that to help out any way that he could. He was a common sight on the sidelines for the Conquerors during a couple of their four consecutive state championships before his health became too fragile. “Ryan was at peace with God, none of us could understand why this path was chosen for him, but he accepted it and I’m positive he realizes he was a blessing to others,” said former Eagle’s View baseball coach Terrance Freeman. “We will hurt a little bit, we’ll cry and we’ll just continue to share that story that Ryan preached to us all.”. Keith said he first noticed symptoms of ALS, which is commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in late 2006. He was diagnosed just over a year later. Despite the physical ...

Mapping Als Protein Shapes May Lead To Insight On Disease's Course

... the nucleus. Other mutations prevented cells from producing stress granules — a crucial defense against damage caused by low oxygen levels. Moreover, the researchers could track how the abnormalities affected the survival of motor neurons in a way that has relevance for ALS. But understanding how a mutation impacts the three-dimensional shape of a protein is also important to understanding how it fails to perform its normal tasks. Many molecular interactions require specific shapes to function normally, just as a key needs to have a specific shape to fit a lock. Mutations that change the shape can prevent a protein from interacting with its molecular partners. In the new work, the team identified the three-dimensional structures of 11 other mutations known to exist in ALS and Parkinson’s. “We hope that the scientific community can use this new knowledge to help design new drugs that will bind selectively to the defective protein to protect the body from its damaging effects,” K. Ravi Acharya, a professor and structural biologist at the University of Bath, said in a press ...

Husband, Wife Take On Als Together

... be stubborn, or you can realize that once you do stuff like that it’s a lot easier to sit in a chair and know you are safe.”. David is now unable to move very well. He can still chew and swallow, so his wife feeds him. He drinks his morning coffee through a glass straw. Jodi said it takes her about 45 minutes to feed David “because even though he can still chew, it’s difficult and takes a lot of concentration on his part so he doesn’t bite his tongue or swallow before his bite is chewed up, or aspirate small particles like rice.”. David is grateful he can still speak, though his speech is slurred. He uses his toes to type on his computer. He knows it’s going to get worse. “We know it’s coming,” he said. “But we are fighting the good fight for as long as we can.”. Added Jodi: “It’s heartbreaking, and it’s hard not to worry. When I married David, he was a bodybuilding, street-racing, electric-guitar playing, alpha male. It’s been hard for us to adjust to him requiring help 24/7. But David has an amazing attitude and a great sense of humor.”. The Masters’ two youngest children, 11-year-old ...

Terminally Ill Mom Whose Best Friend Promised To Adopt Her Four Kids Has Died

... (center) surrounded by her four kids and friends. Molly Hankins. Hankins’ best friend — Missy Armstrong — previously told PEOPLE that as Hankins entered the final stages of battle with the neurodegenerative disease (for which there is no cure), her thoughts were only with the future of her four children. “The thought of where they would go was killing her more than the ALS was,” Armstrong, told PEOPLE. “It consumed her everyday thoughts, because none of her family members were able to take in all four kids together.”. That’s what motivated Armstrong to adopt her friend’s children. “I decided to step in,” the 42-year-old explained. “I knew in my heart this was the right thing to do, that this was how it was meant to be.”. Missy Armstrong and Sara Hankins. Molly Hankins. The two met at La’ James cosmetology school in the town of East Moline, Illinois, in 1999 and “were best friends instantly.” ...