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Local Teacher ALS

Friday, 29 August 2014 15:20

Former students and friends gathered around Buitendyk to take the ice bucket challenge.

A local retired school teacher was honored with a group ice bucket challenge. Lena Buitendyk was diagnosed with ALS last year.

WOODSTOCK-Retired Northdale teacher Lena Buitendyk was diagnosed last year with the neuromuscular disease ALS. Since then the ice bucket challenge (the person nominated either donates to ALS and/or dumps a bucket of ice water on their head) has raised over 10 million dollars for ALS research in Canada, after going viral over social media.

Critics of the ice bucket challenge have said it does nothing to bring awareness to the disease. However Buitendyk said, "the ice bucket challenge, I just think it's incredible because it has raised awareness, it  has raised funds that wouldn't be here otherwise, it is a giant leap forward in finding a cure or prevention for ALS."

The verocity in which the social media has spread the challenge has put the disease in the forefront. "before this started, most people didn't know what ALS was, if I said I had ALS they would have to google it find out what it is, but now I think almost everybody knows what it is," said Buitendyk.

ALS is a disease characterized by muscles becoming paralyzed, making it difficult to breathe, swallow and speak-eventually leading to death.

According to ALS Canada's website, 2 to 3 Canadians succumb to the disease everyday.

The ice bucket group challenge may have been in honor of Buitendyk but it has far reaching effects and raised money for ALS research.

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