A Sad Goodbye…

Pete Frates, the former baseball player/captain and Director of Baseball Operations for Boston College who inspired the ALS ice bucket challenge, has passed away.  Frates was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2012 at age 27.

Frates’ social media campaign challenging friends and celebrities to the ice bucket challenge is attributed to helping make it go viral.  As a result, the challenge raised more than $115 million for the ALS Association, according to the New York Times.

Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI) was proud to participate in the ice bucket challenge back in 2014.  Not only did we take the challenge, but we made a contribution as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JzGhLTD3yY

A statement from the Boston College BC News website:

“Pete Frates possessed the characteristics we hold dear as a university—courage, integrity, selflessness, and a commitment to helping others,” said Boston College spokesman Jack Dunn. “He accepted his illness and devoted the remaining years of his life to raising awareness of ALS and helping to raise money for a cure. He is a role model for all BC students and a beloved figure on our campus.”

Everyone at ASI is saddened by this loss.  Researchers continue to work on a cure.  Until then, we remain committed to providing the most user-friendly, high-quality and innovative ALS assistive technology on the market today.  The autonoME is a custom environmental control unit equipped with augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) capabilities, making it one of the most sought after communication devices for quadriplegics and individuals with debilitating diseases including ALS. If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with ALS, please give us a call today.