Sure, we’re all getting a bit weary of the many Ice Bucket Challenge videos (except when bikinis are involved), but as you will see from this video about a person suffering from ALS it really is doing a world of good.
Anthony Carbajal, 26, was diagnosed with ALS back in January. He also cares for his mother who also suffers from the disease. And he too understands everyone’s frustration with having their social media timelines clogged with Ice Bucket Challenge videos. But also offers a perspective on it that many people may have missed.
“People are getting frustrated about seeing the ALS Ice Bucket challenge, and that’s find, that’s fine, that means our awareness is working. It wouldn’t be successful if we weren’t irritating a few people, right? 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 in the forefront.”
“This is the first successful advocacy that we’ve ever really, really, really had and I am so, so, so grateful. You have no idea how every single challenge makes me feel. Lifts my spirits, lifts every single ALS patient’s spirits. You’re really truly making a difference. We’re so, so, so grateful.”
So go ahead and get frustrated with yet another video showing up on your favorite Web site or in your Twitter feed. It’s okay. But just know that every time it happens somewhere someone like Anthony Carbajal is smiling.
You can donate to ALS research at www.ALS.net.
H/T io9