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An American man who helped drive the worldwide phenomenon known as the Ice Bucket Challenge to tackle a deadly neurodegenerative disease died at the age of 37, his team said.
Patrick Quinn, from New York State, was diagnosed with ALS (motor neuron disease), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2013.
“It is with great sadness that we have to share Patrick’s passing early this morning,” his team wrote in a post on Quinn’s ALS advocacy Facebook group, “Quinn for the Win.”
“We will always remember him for his inspiration and courage in his tireless fight against ALS.”
Quinn didn’t start the Ice Bucket Challenge, which swept social media in 2014, but he, his family and friends helped make it a global phenomenon.
Millions took up the challenge, which consisted of getting wet with a bucket of ice water and posting the video online, before donating to medical research and challenging others to do the same.
A galaxy of celebrities, high-profile personalities and entire sports teams participated in the challenge, including F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, actor Tom Cruise, director Steven Spielberg, along with Bill Gates and even the former president of the United States, George W. Bush.
The campaign has reportedly raised $ 220 million to fund research on ALS, whose bodies slowly shut down as their nervous systems degenerate.
The condition, officially known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the baseball player died from it in 1941.
Pete Frates, a former US college baseball player diagnosed with ALS who also inspired the Ice Bucket Challenge, died last year at age 34.
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