Ice Bucket Campaign funds major ALS Breakthrough

Two years ago the Ice Bucket campaign swept the world; people were throwing Icy cold water down themselves for the sake of raising awareness and donations for ALS. While many were likely just jumping on the craze at the time, the amount of money raised for the cause was staggering.  Overall, $115 million was raised to aid the research of ALS, this was the sum raised from 2.5 million people in America. The worldwide figure is likely much higher.

That funding money went to several different research programs, and one of them, called Project MinE, has now confirmed they have found the gene associated with ALS. The gene, NEK1, is associated with 3% of ALS cases. This may seem like a small figure, but it opens up a whole new window of research. In time, researchers might be able to find a cure for the disease that was once thought to be incurable.

It’s known as Motor Neuron Disease in the United Kingdom, the damages special neurons that control walking, speaking, talking and other vital abilities. There are 5000 people living with ALS in the United Kingdom, one of which is Professor Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed with the disease during his late teens.

While the underlying message may have been lost on a lot of people during the Ice Bucket Challenge Campaign, there’s no denying the how successful it was. It makes you realise just how much charities rely on donations from the public, donations that help beat life-changing illnesses. Did you take part in the Ice Bucket Challenge? Or have you taken part in any other charity challenges?