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Katelyn Grammes: ALS

Katelyn did her presentation on Steve Gleason who is a previous NFL player who now has ALS. ALS, or amyotrophic laterals sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. There are two different types of ALS, sporadic and familial. Sporadic, which is the most common form of the disease in the U.S., accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all cases. It may affect anyone, anywhere. Familial ALS  accounts for 5 to 10 percent of all cases in the U.S. Familial ALS means the disease is inherited. In those families, there is a 50% chance each offspring will inherit the gene mutation and may develop the disease Shortly after being diagnosed Steve decided to turn his experience into a documentary. He also started an ALS foundation. Katelyn was very prepared and also did an excellent job on her powerpoint and presentation. One really cool thing I learned was that he has a state of the art power-wheelchair that he controls with his eye gaze!!! That is truly amazing. 

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