Patrick Quinn, best known for co-founding the Ice Bucket Challenge, had died after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The Ice Bucket Challenge mentioned above was a virus campaign that caught ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was 37 years old.
The news of Quinn’s death was posted on the Quinn for the Win Facebook page: “It is with great sadness that we share the death of Patrick this morning. He has been a blessing to all of us in many ways. We will always remember him for his inspiration and courage in his relentless fight against ALS. “
Quinn, a New Yorker, was diagnosed with ALS on March 8, 2013. In the summer of 2014, Quinn co-founded the Ice Bucket Challenge with Pete Frates after they saw professional golfer Chris Kennedy post a video of himself on social media when his wife’s cousin, Jeanette Senerchia, whose husband had ALS, threw one Bucket of ice water on his head. He asked others to do the same or to make a donation to charity. Quinn and Frates supported the challenge and it became a social media sensation. Unfortunately, Frates, who also had ALS, died last year.
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“The Ice Bucket Challenge has dramatically accelerated the battle against ALS, generating new research, expanding care for people with ALS, and greater government investment in ALS research,” wrote the official ALS Association Twitter account. “Pat continued to raise awareness and resources in the fight against ALS, and our thoughts go with the Quinn family and all of their friends and supporters. Pat was loved by many of us in the ALS community and around the world. He will be missed, but he will continue to inspire us until we have a world without ALS. “
Participants in the Ice Bucket Challenge from the media world included Oprah Winfrey, LeBron James, Will Smith, Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, Lady Gaga, Ben Stiller, Amy Schumer, Chris Pratt, Conan O’Brien, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos . Raised US $ 220 million for ALS medical research through the campaign. About 12,000 to 15,000 Americans may have ALS, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An estimated 5 to 10% of ALS cases are hereditary, but the cause is unknown and there is no cure.
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