Latest news with #TheALSAssociation
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Health
- Miami Herald
Eric Dane brought to tears during first interview since revealing ALS diagnosis
Eric Dane is opening up about his ALS diagnosis for the first time. The 52-year-old 'Grey's Anatomy' alum, who revealed in April that he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), was brought to tears during a recent interview with 'Good Morning America.' On June 12, GMA shared a 30-second snippet of the interview on social media. 'I wake up every day and I'm immediately reminded that this is happening,' Dane told GMA's Diane Sawyer in the clip. 'It's not a dream.' Despite the diagnosis, Dane remains positive and optimistic about his future. 'I don't think this is the end of my story. I don't feel like this is the end of me,' Dane said in his interview with Diane Sawyer. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is 'a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord,' per The ALS Association. The disease causes a person's brain to lose connection with the muscles in their body, slowly taking away their ability to walk, talk, dress, write, eat, swallow and, eventually, breathe. The average life expectancy once someone is diagnosed with ALS is three years, according to The ALS Association. Dane's interview, which is set to air Monday, June 16, comes two months after the 'Euphoria' star revealed his diagnosis in an exclusive interview with People, published April 10. 'I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter,' he told the outlet. The actor clarified at the time that his diagnosis wasn't stopping him from working and he had already returned to the set of 'Euphoria,' which began production for its third season on April 14, People reported. 'I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time,' Dane added at the time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that less than 30,000 people have ALS in the United States today — and roughly 5,000 new patients are diagnosed every year. There's currently no cure for it and it 'almost always progresses' once it starts, per The ALS Association, but some treatments can help slow its rate of progression and improve the patient's quality of life. Dane shares two children — Billie Beatrice, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13 — with his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, per Today.
New York Post
29-04-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Brain implant from Elon Musk's compnay helps father with ALS type messages with his brain
Brad Smith, an Arizona husband and father with ALS, has become the third person to receive Neuralink, the brain implant made by Elon Musk's company. He is also the first ALS patient and the first non-verbal person to receive the implant, he shared in a post on X on Sunday. 'I am typing this with my brain. It is my primary communication,' Smith, who was diagnosed in 2020, wrote in the post, which was also shared by Musk. He went on to thank Musk. Smith is completely paralyzed and relies on a ventilator to breathe. He created a video using the brain-computer interface (BCI) to control the mouse on his MacBook Pro, he stated. 'This is the first video edited with [Neuralink], and maybe the first edited with a BCI,' he said. The video was narrated by Smith's 'old voice,' he said, which was cloned by artificial intelligence from recordings before he lost the use of his voice. 'I want to explain how Neuralink has impacted my life and give you an overview of how it works,' he said. 6 Brad Smith, an Arizona husband and father with ALS, has become the third person to receive Neuralink, the brain implant made by Elon Musk's company. Facebook/Bradford Smith ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, according to The ALS Association. Over time, the disease impairs muscle control until the patient becomes paralyzed. ALS is ultimately fatal, with an average life expectancy of three years, although 10% of patients can survive for 10 years, and 5% live 20 years or longer. It does not impact cognitive function. 6 'I am typing this with my brain. It is my primary communication,' Smith wrote in an X post. Neuralink, which is about 1.75 inches thick, was implanted in Smith's motor cortex, the part of the brain that controls body movement. The implanted device captures neuron firings in the brain and sends a raw signal to the computer. 'AI processes this data on a connected MacBook Pro to decode my intended movements in real time to move the cursor on my screen,' Smith said. 'Neuralink has given me freedom, hope, and faster communication,' he added. 'It has improved my life so much. I am so happy to be involved in something big that will help many people.' 6 Neuralink, which is about 1.75 inches thick, was implanted in Smith's motor cortex, the part of the brain that controls body movement. Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto / Shutterstock Smith is also a man of faith, saying that he believes God has put him in this position to serve others. 'I have not always understood why God afflicted me with ALS, but with time, I am learning to trust His plan for me,' he said. 'God loves me and my family. He has answered our prayers in unexpected ways. He has blessed my kids and our family. So I'm learning to trust that God knows what he is doing.' Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Smith also said he is grateful that he gets to work with the 'brilliant people' at Neuralink and do 'really interesting work.' 'Don't get me wrong, ALS still really sucks, but I am talking about the big picture,' he said. 'The big picture is, I am happy.' Dr. Mary Ann Picone, medical director of the MS Center at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey, applauded Neuralink's capabilities. 6 'Neuralink has given me freedom, hope, and faster communication,' Smith (pictured) added. 'It has improved my life so much. I am so happy to be involved in something big that will help many people.' @ALScyborg/X 'This is an amazing development that now the third person to use Neuralink has gained the ability with the use of AI to type with neural thoughts,' Picone, who was not involved in Smith's care, told Fox News Digital. 'The now-realized potential of Neuralink is to allow patients with quadriplegia to control computers and mobile devices with their thoughts.' There are some risks involved with the implant, Picone noted. These include surgical infection, bleeding, and damage to the underlying brain tissue. 6 Smith also said he is grateful that he gets to work with the 'brilliant people' at Neuralink and do 'really interesting work.' @ALScyborg/X 'But the benefits are that patients who are paralyzed would have the potential to restore personal control over the limbs by using their thoughts,' she said. Dr. Peter Konrad, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the department of neurosurgery at WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute in West Virginia, called Neuralink a 'remarkable demonstration of the power of AI-driven technology.' 'Mr. Smith is an incredible hero for those who are severely disabled from diseases such as ALS,' Konrad, who was also not involved in Smith's care, told Fox News Digital. Konrad also spoke of the advancements that have occurred since the past generations of BCI technology. 6 Smith went on to thank Elon Musk and his company for the brain implant. AFP via Getty Images 'It is encouraging to see faster progress being made with neural devices reaching clinical trials in the past five to 10 years,' he said. 'However, we are still awaiting development of a BCI device that does not require a team of engineers and experts to customize each and every severely disabled patient with this technology.' 'For every Brad Smith out there, there are hundreds of thousands of other disabled patients awaiting access to this technology,' he said. 'This video demonstrates the safety of these types of devices — now it's time to provide larger access to these devices through a new generation of educated physicians, engineers, and manufacturers able to deploy this technology.'
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Paralyzed man with ALS is third to receive NeuraLink implant, can type with brain
Brad Smith, an Arizona husband and father with ALS, has become the third person to receive Neuralink, the brain implant made by Elon Musk's company. He is also the first ALS patient and the first non-verbal person to receive the implant, he shared in a post on X on Sunday. "I am typing this with my brain. It is my primary communication," Smith, who was diagnosed in 2020, wrote in the post, which was also shared by Musk. He went on to thank Musk. Smith is completely paralyzed and relies on a ventilator to breathe. He created a video using the brain-computer interface (BCI) to control the mouse on his MacBook Pro, he stated. "This is the first video edited with [Neuralink], and maybe the first edited with a BCI," he said. The video was narrated by Smith's "old voice," he said, which was cloned by artificial intelligence from recordings before he lost the use of his voice. Read On The Fox News App "I want to explain how Neuralink has impacted my life and give you an overview of how it works," he said. ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, according to The ALS Association. Over time, the disease impairs muscle control until the patient becomes paralyzed. ALS is ultimately fatal, with an average life expectancy of three years, although 10% of patients can survive for 10 years and 5% live 20 years or longer. How Elon Musk's Neuralink Brain Chip Works It does not impact cognitive function. Neuralink, which is about 1.75 inches thick, was implanted in Smith's motor cortex, the part of the brain that controls body movement. The implanted device captures neuron firings in the brain and sends a raw signal to the computer. "AI processes this data on a connected MacBook Pro to decode my intended movements in real time to move the cursor on my screen," Smith said. "Neuralink has given me freedom, hope and faster communication," he added. "It has improved my life so much. I am so happy to be involved in something big that will help many people." Experimental Als Drug Could Offer New Hope For Patients If Approved, Researchers Say Smith is also a man of faith, saying that he believes God has put him in this position to serve others. "I have not always understood why God afflicted me with ALS, but with time, I am learning to trust His plan for me," he said. "God loves me and my family. He has answered our prayers in unexpected ways. He has blessed my kids and our family. So I'm learning to trust that God knows what he is doing." Smith also said he is grateful that he gets to work with the "brilliant people" at Neuralink and do "really interesting work." "Don't get me wrong, ALS still really sucks, but I am talking about the big picture," he said. "The big picture is, I am happy." Dr. Mary Ann Picone, medical director of the MS Center at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey, applauded Neuralink's capabilities. "This is an amazing development that now the third person to use Neuralink has gained the ability with the use of AI to type with neural thoughts," Picone, who was not involved in Smith's care, told Fox News Digital. "The now-realized potential of Neuralink is to allow patients with quadriplegia to control computers and mobile devices with their thoughts." There are some risks involved with the implant, Picone noted. These include surgical infection, bleeding and damage to the underlying brain tissue. "But the benefits are that patients who are paralyzed would have the potential to restore personal control over the limbs by using their thoughts," she said. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter Dr. Peter Konrad, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the department of neurosurgery at WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute in West Virginia, called Neuralink a "remarkable demonstration of the power of AI-driven technology." "Mr. Smith is an incredible hero for those who are severely disabled from diseases such as ALS," Konrad, who also was not involved in Smith's care, told Fox News Digital. Konrad also spoke of the advancements that have occurred since the past generations of BCI technology. "It is encouraging to see faster progress being made with neural devices reaching clinical trials in the past five to 10 years," he said. "However, we are still awaiting development of a BCI device that does not require a team of engineers and experts to customize each and every severely disabled patient with this technology." For more Health articles, visit "For every Brad Smith out there, there are hundreds of thousands of other disabled patients awaiting access to this technology," he said. "This video demonstrates the safety of these types of devices — now it's time to provide larger access to these devices through a new generation of educated physicians, engineers and manufacturers able to deploy this technology."Original article source: Paralyzed man with ALS is third to receive NeuraLink implant, can type with brain
Fox News
29-04-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Paralyzed man with ALS is third to receive NeuraLink implant, can type with brain
Brad Smith — an Arizona husband and father with ALS — has become the third person to receive Neuralink, the brain implant made by Elon Musk's company. He is also the first ALS patient and the first non-verbal person to receive the implant, he shared in a post on X on Sunday. "I am typing this with my brain. It is my primary communication," Smith, who was diagnosed with in 2020, wrote in the post, which was also shared by Musk. He went on to thank Musk. Smith — who is completely paralyzed and relies on a ventilator to breathe — created a video using the brain-computer interface (BCI) to control the mouse on his MacBook Pro, he stated. "This is the first video edited with the Neurolink, and maybe the first edited with a BCI," he said. "Neuralink has given me freedom, hope and faster communication." The video was narrated by Smith's "old voice," he said, which was cloned by artificial intelligence from recordings before he lost the use of his voice. "I want to explain how Neuralink has impacted my life and give you an overview of how it works," he said. ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, according to The ALS Association. Over time, the disease impairs muscle control until the patient becomes paralyzed. ALS is ultimately fatal, with an average life expectancy of three years — although 10% of patients can survive for 10 years and 5% live 20 years or longer. It does not impact cognitive function. Neuralink, which is about 1.75 inches thick, was implanted in Smith's motor cortex, the part of the brain that controls body movement. The implanted device captures neuron firings in the brain and sends a raw signal to the computer. "AI processes this data on a connected MacBook Pro to decode my intended movements in real time to move the cursor on my screen," Smith said. "Neuralink has given me freedom, hope and faster communication," he added. "It has improved my life so much. I am so happy to be involved in something big that will help many people." Smith is also a man of faith, sharing that he believes God has put him in this position to serve others. "I have not always understood why God afflicted me with ALS, but with time, I am learning to trust His plan for me," he said. "God loves me and my family. He has answered our prayers in unexpected ways. He has blessed my kids and our family. So I'm learning to trust that God knows what he is doing." Smith also said he is grateful that he gets to work with the "brilliant people" at Neuralink and do "really interesting work." "Don't get me wrong, ALS still really sucks, but I am talking about the big picture," he said. "The big picture is, I am happy." Dr. Mary Ann Picone, medical director of the MS Center at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey, applauded Neuralink's capabilities. "This is an amazing development that now the third person to use Neuralink has gained the ability with the use of AI to type with neural thoughts," Picone, who was not involved in Smith's care, told Fox News Digital. "The now-realized potential of Neuralink is to allow patients with quadriplegia to control computers and mobile devices with their thoughts." There are some risks involved with the implant, Picone noted, including surgical infection, bleeding and damage to the underlying brain tissue. "But the benefits are that patients who are paralyzed would have the potential to restore personal control over the limbs by using their thoughts," she said. Dr. Peter Konrad, MD, PhD, chairman of the department of neurosurgery at WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute in West Virginia, called Neuralink a "remarkable demonstration of the power of AI-driven technology." "Mr. Smith is an incredible hero for those who are severely disabled from diseases such as ALS," Konrad, who also was not involved in Smith's care, told Fox News Digital. "Mr. Smith is an incredible hero for those who are severely disabled from disease such as ALS." Konrad also spoke of the advancements that have occurred since the past generations of BCI technology. "It is encouraging to see faster progress being made with neural devices reaching clinical trials in the past five to 10 years," he said. "However, we are still awaiting development of a BCI device that does not require a team of engineers and experts to customize each and every severely disabled patient with this technology." "For every Brad Smith out there, there are hundreds of thousands of other disabled patients awaiting access to this technology. This video demonstrates the safety of these types of devices — now it's time to provide larger access to these devices through a new generation of educated physicians, engineers and manufacturers able to deploy this technology."
USA Today
23-04-2025
- Health
- USA Today
The viral 'Ice Bucket Challenge' is back over a decade later – but with a new mission
The viral 'Ice Bucket Challenge' is back over a decade later – but with a new mission The #SpeakYourMIND Ice Bucket Challenge, which has raised nearly $300,000 in support of mental health, is receiving mixed reactions as the trend originally brought awareness to ALS. Show Caption Hide Caption Good Day's 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge Ten years ago, Lauren Przybyl took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in her backyard. She then challenged Chip Waggoner to do it live on Good Day. Fox - 4 News I still remember the cool rush of ice water splashing over my head in summer 2014, my body bracing itself for inevitable shivers. The original 'ALS Ice Bucket Challenge' was inescapable — if you weren't nominated, you certainly saw videos plastered all over your Instagram (or even Vine) feed. But the trend wasn't just for fun. The challenge was launched by three young men living with ALS: Anthony Senerchia, Pete Frates and Pat Quinn. ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing progressive loss of muscle control. Over 17 million people dumped ice water over their heads, raising over $115 million for The ALS Association. Over a decade later, those of us who remember the original challenge are now getting deja vu. But the newest ice bucket challenge isn't to bring awareness to ALS; rather, participants are raising awareness and funds for mental health causes. The #SpeakYourMIND ice bucket challenge was created by students at the University of South Carolina's 'Mental Illness Needs Discussion' club, which first posted about the challenge on March 31. The organization requested participants donate to Active Minds, a national youth mental health nonprofit with chapters across college campuses. Nearly $300,000 has been raised as of April 23. The challenge is simple: Grab a bucket, some ice, and a friend. Record your challenge and tag three others to take it next. Post on social media and include the donation link to support the work of Active Minds. Wade Jefferson, Sophomore at USC and Founder of the MIND club, said in a statement the challenge was 'inspired by the original ALS and how powerful that movement was,' but its success has not come without backlash. One TikTok user posted that it 'overshadows the ALS ice bucket challenge," which was designed to "raise awareness because nobody knows what ALS is." Even The ALS Association weighed in. 'The Ice Bucket Challenge started with ALS. We remember who we are – and won't stop until there's a cure,' they said in an Instagram post on April 22, featuring clips of celebrities like Taylor Swift taking part in the OG challenge. 'They're two completely different things' On TikTok, users were divided. Some argued that the 'point of it being an ice bucket challenge for ALS was to represent the physical pain of ALS,' and this new trend 'confused' them. 'With the ALS one it is supposed to give that almost frozen/paralyzed feeling,' one user commented. Others, however, noted that the new trend was still bringing awareness to ALS by sparking nostalgia for the original challenge. 'As someone from South Carolina, USC Speak Your Mind is for someone who took their life at USC. They're two completely different things and both deserve recognition,' another user wrote. ALS Ice Bucket Challenge turns 10: Much achieved, but much work remains Peyton Manning, James Charles take part in #SpeakYourMIND ice bucket challenge Just like the original ice bucket challenge, influencers and celebrities are getting in on it. James Charles, who joked that he 'couldn't believe we were back in 2014,' brought attention to both ALS and mental health. His post has received nearly 30M views on TikTok. 'Watching it take off – seeing people we admire, like Peyton Manning, join in – has been surreal. We're proud, grateful, and just excited to see how far it's gone and continue to go,' Jefferson said. Active Minds is encouraging people to participate and share educational resources – including self-care tools, ways to offer help and information on accessing crisis support – to continue working towards a 'new era of mental health.' 'This campaign is everything Active Minds stands for—bold, mission-driven, and youth-led,' Alison Malmon, Founder & Executive Director of Active Minds, said in a statement. 'To see youth and young adults take an iconic viral moment and breathe new life into it for mental health advocacy is incredibly powerful.'
