Diagnosed with ALS (aka Lou Gehrig's Disease) just after his 30th birthday, Pat Quinn would go on the make history raising awareness for the disease through the globally viral Ice Bucket Challenge. Today, at the age of just 37, he passed away from the disease.
Everyday people, athletes, politicians, celebrities and personalities from around the world videoed themselves being dumped with a bucket of ice water, then posted the videos to social media, challenging others by name to do the same.
Even Donald Trump got in on the action. Flanked, and simultaneously doused, by Miss Universe and Miss USA, he then threw down the gauntlet, challenging President Obama, and his sons Don Jr. and Eric to do the same.
In the end, Quinn and his challenge co-founder Pete Frates, who likewise succumbed to ALS back in December 2019, helped to raise over $200 million for ALS research.
"Nobody knew the Ice Bucket Challenge would become a worldwide phenomenon, but we united as one because that is what it takes to change a disease like ALS," Quinn said. "There are warriors all over the world unwilling to accept it as a death sentence. … We will never stop fighting together. I will not leave this Earth until I know the next person diagnosed with ALS has a real plan to live with this disease, not just die from it."
