There are many reasons to celebrate the life of genius physicist Stephen Hawking, but celebrating his 76th birthday is definitely extra special, reports Rare DR. As many know, Hawking suffers from ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a rare and aggressive debilitating disease. To learn more about ALS, click here.
Celebrating his 76th birthday makes Hawking one of the longest living ALS patients to date, and that should not go unnoticed. Most individuals with ALS die after three years post diagnosis. The rate of survival there on out is slim, landing at a low 10% 10 years after initial diagnosis to a tiny 5% 20 years after. Yet for Hawking, he is one the few who have lived beyond 50 years post diagnosis, and that is an incredible feat.
ALS is devastating. Many refer to it as the Lou Gehrig’s disease, as it affected the dear professional athlete in his time. ALS affects neurological system, affecting their control over physical movement, and over time they slowly lose all control. Often patients lose their ability to do simple every day tasks on their own such as walking, talking eating, and even breathing. Most patients start feeling symptoms aren’t ages 55 and higher, and it often starts with slurring of speech and muscle weakness.
Hawking, an incredibly brilliant success from all his years, was diagnosed in college at the young age of 21. Doctors told him he only had two years to live, yet he skyrocketed passed all expectation and look, he’s still here. He continues to educate around the world, occasionally doing lectures at Cambridge or conducting research at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. He continued to stun, being most recognized for his bestselling book, A Brief History of Time.
No one really knows why or exactly how Hawking has been able to live such a long life but some believe it to be either linked to his genes or his young diagnosis. We hope Hawking stays around much longer, because he knows he still has so much to do, and we can’t wait to see!
