"This does not end here. Together with Stephens’s spirit continuing to guide us we will take this disease apart and destroy it."
--Jamie Heywood
I've just received the sad news of the death this weekend of Stephen Heywood, whose brother Jamie was a college acquaintance of mine. Some of you will know about Stephen and Jamie's powerful story of the race for a cure to ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, because of the popular science book His Brother's Keeper. I hope you will read it. It tells of how, after Stephen received an ALS diagnosis in 1998, Jamie quit his career as an engineer to form a foundation to raise money for cutting-edge research into the causes and treatments of the disease. Together they have raised millions of dollars and put ALS on the fast track for some new experimental therapies. More than that, however, they have inspired thousands of people, myself included, through their courage and commitment.
I never met Stephen, but I find his story to be deeply inspirational, and hope that you will too. Please read the book, and if you feel led to do so, consider making a donation to the foundation in Stephen's memory.
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