Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of Nickelodeon’s iconic cartoon series “SpongeBob SquarePants,” died Monday of this week after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (or ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).
What is ALS?
ALS is a progressive, neurological disease that kills nerve cells in the brain stem, spinal cord and brain. Consequentially, muscles eventually weaken, causing loss of voluntary movement and control. Life expectancy varies between patients; however, deterioration of respiratory muscles leads to fatal complications.
To read more about ALS, click here.
Stephen’s death, while not surprising considering ALS’s prognosis, is heartbreaking for his loved ones as well as the millions of millennials and younger generations who grew up on SpongeBob.
“We are incredibly saddened by the news that Steve Hillenburg has passed away following a battle with ALS,” Nickelodeon said in a statement. “Steve imbued ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ with a unique sense of humor and innocence that has brought joy to generations of kids and families everywhere. His utterly original characters and the world of Bikini Bottom will long stand as a reminder of the value of optimism, friendship and the limitless power of imagination.”
Stephen announced his ALS diagnosis in March of 2017.
So on behalf of all those who ever laughed or smiled at SpongeBob, Patrick, and all the other zany sea critters he brought to life, we hope Stephen is resting in peace in a pineapple up in the sky.
