By Gloria Kim, South Pasadena High School, Grade 10
May 16, 2011
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that usually develops among adults past age 40. But at South Pasadena High School, it has affected an eighteen year-old senior.
ALS, or more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neurodegenerative illness in which motor nerve cells in the brain degenerate. In its early stages, ALS patients lose control of their muscles then atrophy leads to paralysis and eventual death.
Hajime Miyasaka was diagnosed with ALS this past winter when he noticed that his left arm was becoming weaker. Last month, he shared with the school about his hardship through a silent video. In the video, Hajime held up signs with descriptions of his illness and struggle. His last sign in the film read: “But I know that this is not the end of my story.”
Currently, there is no cure for ALS. But Hajime’s positive attitude has inspired students to form a club to support Hajime and other students facing similar forms of difficulty but not just limited to physical ailment.
“We want to make Youth with a Voice a club for students that are going through a hard time,” said Nicole Lussier, the new president of the club. “We would want to help anyone that is having trouble, like with bullying or other issues that students face.”
Though Hajime’s story is unfortunate and rare, his optimistic outlook in the midst of suffering is inspiring his peers to “become a voice” for high school students battling adversaries.
