Political Quotes

“upon retiring from baseball due to a debilitating disease known as ALS, Lou Gehrig said, ``I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth . . . I might have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for.'' Today this attitude is personified in Matthias Radits, the corporate chef of The Breakers resort, who was diagnosed with ALS last year. With The Breakers' kitchen serving as the classroom, Mr. Radits has established an apprenticeship for high school graduates interested in culinary arts. ALS is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord. When cells die, voluntary muscle control and movement ceases, yet a patient's mind remains intact. The average life expectancy is 2 to 5 years. But with recent advancements, ALS patients are living longer and having more productive lives. I urge my colleagues to work hard towards additional funding for ALS so that more aggressive and productive research can be done and we can imagine a day when this disease disappears for all of the Matthias Raditses of the world.”