ALS typically progresses rapidly, causing paralysis and eventual death. There is currently no cure for ALS, but treatments can help manage the symptoms and extend life.
Sandra Bullock’s parter, Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with ALS.
His family confirmed the news through an official statement provided to People magazine, expressing: ‘We announce with heavy hearts that Bryan Randall, on August 5, peacefully departed after a valiant three-year struggle against ALS. Bryan decided early on to shield his ALS journey from the public eye, and we, his caregivers, made every effort to respect his wish.’
The statement proceeded to extend gratitude to the ‘dedicated’ medical personnel who provided unwavering support to Randall during his illness.
Bullock has been notoriously private about her personal life. The two met in 2015, when he was hired to photograph the actress’ son Louis’ birthday in January of that year.
What is ALS?
ALS is a progressive disease that affects neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurons transmit signals from our brain to our muscles and allow us to move. ALS causes these motor neurons to die, resulting in the loss of a patient’s ability to speak, eat, move and breathe.
There is currently no known cause of ALS. However, researchers believe that it may be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Men are 20 per cent more likely than women to develop ALS.
In 2020, an FDA-approved diabetes drug showed early signs of promise against the most common genetic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a devastating neurological condition that causes paralysis.
Notable ALS patients include New York Yankees baseball star Lou Gehrig (the disease is often called Lou Gehrig’s disease), physicist Stephen Hawking and New Orleans Saints football star Steve Gleason. There are currently more than 30,000 cases of ALS in the United States, and life expectancy after diagnosis is typically 2 to 5 years.
