Anthony Carbajal knows all about ALS because the debilitating disease runs in his family. His grandmother suffered from ALS, and years later, his mother was diagnosed. Always fearing the inevitable, Anthony tried to stay positive, but just a few months ago, he got the devastating news. It has only been five months since Carbajal’s diagnosis, but he’s already having trouble doing everyday things… like starting his car and buttoning his shirt.
The 26-year-old cares for his mom who is now in advanced stages, and he is dealing with the realization that he too will have the same fate.
It was his very experience with ALS that made him do the Ice Bucket Challenge himself. While his video starts off pretty goofy, things get serious really quickly. Why? Well, because Anthony knows that some people out there think that the Ice Bucket Challenge is stupid.
According to Gossip Cop , Anthony shared his video in hopes of not only raising awareness but letting people know that as silly as it might seem — people dumping cold water over their heads, that is — it is helping.
“I promise, your news feed will go back to cat videos and ‘Let It Go’ covers, but right now, the ALS community has the main spotlight. And for once in my entire life, I’ve seen it at the forefront.”
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge started in Massachusetts and has made its way around the country — and beyond. Everyone seems to be participating, even some of the biggest celebrities (from Ben Affleck to Britney Spears), which you can read about and see in this article by The Inquisitr .
So far, over $22 million has been raised thanks to people making donations and getting the word out. For those who don’t even know what ALS is, you can learn about it on the ALS Association’s website . In short, ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It is defined as “a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.”
[Photo courtesy of YouTube screen capture]