Former NFL star Chris Johnson has revealed that he was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, last year at age 39.
Johnson shared the diagnosis during an interview with Good Morning America co-anchor Michael Strahan.
“There’s no history of ALS in my family,” Johnson said. “My doctors believe my case is what’s called sporadic ALS, which is actually how the vast majority of ALS cases happen.”
“That’s one of the reasons this disease can be so shocking,” he continued. “It can happen to someone who never expected it.”
Johnson said he was working out regularly and spending time with his wife, Brittany, and their four children when he first noticed something was wrong.
“I first noticed weakness in my right hand,” he said. “At first, it was little things like my grip didn’t feel right and I wasn’t as strong as I’ve always been.”
Brittany initially believed the symptoms were related to the years her husband spent playing professional football.
“I thought because of football and, you know, his career, that it had to be something with that,” she said. “Maybe … a pinched nerve or something along those lines, but never ALS.”
According to the National Institutes of Health, ALS is a progressive neurological disease that affects nerve cells controlling voluntary muscle movement. Over time, it can affect a person’s ability to move, speak, swallow and breathe. Although there is no cure, some treatments may help slow the disease’s progression and improve quality of life.
Johnson is taking three medications that help slow the disease, but he now relies on a speech-generating device created from recordings of his own voice.
“It’s continued to progress much faster than I ever imagined. I want people to understand just how quickly ALS can attack your body,” he said. “Just over a year ago, I was picking up my 7-year-old daughter so she’d make a wish with her birthday cake. Today, I couldn’t do that.”
Johnson credits his wife and children with helping him to keep going.
“She hasn’t left my side through any of this,” he said of Brittany. “My kids are also a huge part of why I keep going. Every day I wake up wanting more time with them to make more memories and just be their dad. They give me a reason to keep fighting.”
Following the interview, Johnson took to Instagram to revive the viral ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and raise awareness and funds for ALS research. In the video, his daughter, Honey Love Johnson, kicked off the campaign by nominating her brothers, CJ and Kaden, along with LeBron James.
