So, if you’re already familiar with ALS, feel free to skip to the next paragraph. Take a moment and imagine what it would be like to be a prisoner in your body. You are unable to move, communicate, or even breathe on your own. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal column that control all of your body’s voluntary muscle movements. Little by little, as these muscles weaken and die, you lose control of your body. Your cognitive abilities remain intact, and so the disease effectively traps you inside your own body until the end of your life. ALS is currently incurable.

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