Ice bucket

This blog started after me having a bit of a rant on Facebook, about the ice bucket challenge. Here is my post for those of you who haven't seen it.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of videos on “YouTube”, “Facebook” and “Twitter” that have gone viral this past month. They are mostly called “The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge”. (IBC) And when you do a post what do you get? Yep that's right, comments. And the negative ones are starting to p*ss me off. Here are just a few examples: “OMG there are people dying of thirst in Africa, and you are just wasting water by throwing it on your head!” “ Instead of doing stupid challenges think about the Palestinians!” “You are such a douche, what a stupid thing to do.” the more you read the more aggressive the comments become. Last night I saw that Karim Benzema (a french footballer) has done an IBC. As his video is the first french one I had seen I thought that I would explain the challenge to my french friends as by next week, french versions of the IBC will pop up on my news feed every 5 minutes. As my status has been shared a couple of times I thought that you might like to know (without the help of “Google Translate”!) what the challenge is about. So the first IBC started a few months ago and you either had to chuck a bucket of ice water on your head OR donate $100 to a charity of your choice and then nominate 3 people to do the challenge. But then it shifted from A charity to ALS association or MND association as it is known in the UK. This is all thanks to golfer Chris Kennedy who dumped the water on his head and still donated to MND and nominated his cousin (who's husband has MND), from there the videos went viral and everyone now donates to ALS / MND. Hundreds of celebrities have followed suit and done the challenge, Justin Timberlake, Oprah, George W Bush, David Beckham, the list is endless!!! And I am so so happy that this silly dare has gone viral because this illness is horrible, and I know what I'm talking about, because my lovely, amazing and strong Daddy has MND... Not many people know what MND/ALS is and I explain it to them by saying “It kills your muscles” personally I feel that, that is the simplest and most understandable way of describing it. When you suffer from MND you loose the use of your arms, legs, hands, feet.. even your voice, because your vocal cords are muscles also. And as if that wasn't bad enough, there is NO CURE! The only medicine that exists slows down the process but cannot stop it. Which means that 100% of the victims of the disease die from it. Each donation helps with the research into finding a cure. I know that not everyone who does the IBC will donate but hopefully thanks to the media attention ALS and MND will have enough support and resources to find a magical pill to eradicate this sh*ty disease. I know that this won't save my dad, but if one day we can find a cure that will save one person then I say, go ahead “waste” a bucket of water. (If you feel guilty about it instead of having a 10 min shower tomorrow have a 9 min one, that'll make up for a few buckets of ice water! ) I know few people will read all of this but thank you to those who have and if you want more info on MND/ALS check out : www.alsa.org (USA) or www.mndassociation.org (UK)

After putting up this post, a few people started to ask me what I thought about the challenge. And I tell them that, maybe some people are doing it to have their 15 minutes of fame. Maybe some people won't give to charity.  But I don't care. The people that do give to MND or ALS, no matter how big or small the contribution, are helping to find a cure for this disease and I thank them for that.

While I am thanking people. I would like to thank all the people who have donated directly to Dad, it is overwhelming and brings tears to my eyes.

We have some wonderful friends. Too many to name you all but I want to say a special thanks to Giles and Jo Houston. First of all thank you for the tree. And second of all, thank you for « Hijacking an idea with no shame » ! You have changed the Ice Bucket Challenge into the Rob Johnson 30 day challenge, WOW. I would just like to say that I do think you are mad for ice bucketing yourself Giles every day for 30 days, but most of all I think that you are amazing friends and I don't know how to thank you. Because Thank You doesn't seem enough.

And to all of you who have done IBCs for Dad or in honour of Daddy, thank you. You have brought so much joy to us this past week. I wasn't with dad when he watched your videos but I know he had a huge smile on his face and was laughing at you, because he is nice and warm while you are all freezing.;-)

People struggle to come and see Dad, it is hard to see him in a hospital bed. I get that ! He was the life and soul off the party. He was the one who would come and check up on you when you were ill. Take you out for a beer if you were feeling low. Tell you a crappy story to make you feel better. But how ever hard it is to see him as he now, just take a second to think how he must feel... I am not judging anyone. I get that it is hard but I would just like you to take a few seconds to see things from a different perspective. He can't come and meet up with you at the pub. He can't say to mum that he is going for a run and pop in to you have a few beers and then sprint back home so that he is hot and sweaty after his « hour long run » (Yes Dad we all knew that you were at Auntie George and Uncle Aluns !!!) Although he can no longer do those things he is still the same man you knew and loved. He still has the same crappy sense of humour (I think that he is hilarious but hey he's my Daddy and he always makes me laugh! And even if his jokes aren't funny, the faces we pull make him smile so we all end up laughing!!!) He can't shake your hand but that doesn't mean that he can't feel you pat him on the shoulder.

He is the same person he always was, just in a different body...

This goes out to all of his friends. If you want to come and see, come ! It will be hard but it makes him so happy, and if you've been once you can come a thousand times. You will feel better after seeing him. Don't people say that you should face your fears ?

Again thank you all!

Think I am starting to ramble a bit so on to the next topic !

Keep warm !!!

XOXO