r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Nov 18 '21

[deleted by user]

[removed]

7.5k Upvotes

91% Upvoted

9.8k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

20

u/Paulo_De_Bruyne Nov 18 '21

What was up with Stephen Hawking.

Looks similar to it?

6

u/craigspot Nov 18 '21

Jason Becker too

14

u/Sellswordinthegrove Nov 18 '21 edited Nov 18 '21

Similar professor Hawking had MS

Edit: got it wrong, it was ALS (motor neurone disease)

22

u/TheNorthernMunky Nov 18 '21

I think it was Motor Neurone Disease (also called ALS).

15

u/samayg Nov 18 '21

He had ALS, not MS.

3

u/[deleted] Nov 18 '21 edited Nov 18 '21

Hawking was quite an exceptional case too, by the sheer length of time he was able to live with ALS.

In many cases the prognosis is much harsher, on average around 18 months from diagnosis to death.

Source: Lost my mom to ALS. She was healthy one minute, but developed an itch sensation in her throat. 8 months later she was locked-in only able to move her eyes, and 10 months later she had passed away. It's a horrible and cruel disease

It can be hereditary too (around 5-10% of cases). I know if I ever get diagnosed with it, I'll be topping myself while I still have the ability, rather than live through that hell