NEEDHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ALS Therapy Alliance, a Boston-based nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness and research funds for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is issuing the following statement in response to an ALS –focused punch line from the movie Ted, which is quickly becoming pop culture chatter.
The punch line, "From one man to another, I hope you get Lou Gehrig's disease,” is being tweeted and re-tweeted among movie fans.
This dangerous yet popular saying is trending just as July 4th marks the 73rd anniversary of Lou Gehrig’s famous farewell speech from major league baseball at Yankee Stadium. The New York Yankee slugger’s battle with ALS cut his amazing career short, but left an inspirational, honorable legend for others to follow in the wake of this disease. ALS disrupts muscle function while leaving the brain intact, ultimately causing patients to become “trapped” in their own bodies. There is no cure; life expectancy is just four to six years.
“The box office smash hit Ted, a comedy film based in Boston from Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, is sending the wrong message about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We want to make it clear that ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is not a laughing matter for people and families suffering from this life-threatening illness. The punch line in the movie Ted comes at the expense of people afflicted with ALS,” said Traci Bisson, project research manager for ALS Therapy Alliance.
“We are not condemning Seth MacFarlane,” Bisson continued. “We just want to stop this alarming trend before it becomes too widespread. We work every day with a dedicated community of supporters to raise awareness and funds, aiming to wipe out ALS. We hope the filmmakers move beyond the unfortunate way Lou Gehrig’s disease is used in the film and join us in finding a positive way to raise awareness and research funding to help find a cure.”
For more information, please visit www.alstherapyalliance.org.
About ALS Therapy Alliance (ATA)
ALS Therapy Alliance was founded in 2000 to facilitate ALS research projects and collaborations among a diverse group of scientists and clinicians. The scientists involved in the ATA are affiliated with some of the best universities and medical centers, including, among others, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard College, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, and Boston University. ATA’s board is comprised of outstanding clinicians, scientists and business associates including two Nobel Prize Laureates, H. Robert Horvitz, Ph.D. and Craig C. Mello, Ph.D., who are committed to the organization’s mission.