Mom Gadget Domestic Product Reviews and Giveaways

So Much, So Fast

by Gayla McCord on October 10th, 2006

Three years ago, I reconnected with a high school classmate who revealed his personal battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).  There had only been one other time that had I heard mention of the disease when an acquaintance had talked about having lost his father to ALS. 

When the opportunity came to view So Much, So Fast, I jumped at the chance.  Having little understanding of the disease itself, curiosity got the best of me.

With only about 5,000 Americans succumbing to ALS each year, it has been called an “orphan” disease. ALS is deadly enough to kill, but not widespread enough to capture the attentions of major phrama players because it lacks the promise of profitability.

In 1998, at the age of 29, Stephen Heywood was diagnosed with ALS and was given five years to live. When facing this reality, Stephen asked his girlfriend Wendy to marry him and to have his child.  Suddenly this handsome, young and over-the-top energetic man was faced with living a full life in a few short years.

So Much, So Fast is an all encompassing story of one family who challenged science, mastered engineering and became the model of perseverance in the race for a cure while transitioning with Stephen by utilizing every muscle movement, until there were none.

As a non-professional couch critic, I’ve never been one to give in to the big name movie critics and typically disagree with their summations – however, when it comes to this particular film, I can’t imagine anyone not being deeply moved and inspired by this one man will to live and the extraordinary family he’s so blessed to have.

For more information on ALS, the ongoing research and how you can help visit http://www.als.net/

 

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