Lou Gehrig Was a Man of Great Principles, and So Was Our Cousin Jamie
ALS is a disease that no one wants, but courage emerged from both men
Before people in the USA were participating in the ice bucket challenge, ALS — amyotrophic lateral schlerosis — didn’t get much press. I was thinking today of Lou Gehrig, as ALS is known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Lou Gehrig, a baseball player, was a man of high moral principles. He played seventeen seasons in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees, but then his health took a terrible turn for the worse. His diagnosis? ALS — a dreaded disease for which there is no cure.
It’s a disease that affects a person’s motor control, and as the disease progresses, the person loses the ability to walk, move about, and speak.
Despite his terrible diagnosis at a young age, Lou Gehrig gave a speech that has become famous. July 4th is ‘Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day,’ so it’s important to remember what makes this man courageous.
