TISSUE ALERT

Ice Bucket Challenge Turns Heartbreaking, Reminds Us What This Is All About

enhanced-13996-1408625792-6Anthony Carbajal, a 26-year-old photographer from California, is challenging all the “ice bucket haters” online to watch his 7-minute ice bucket challenge and reconsider the angst they’ve directed at the seemingly never-ending new trend.

For two minutes, he spices up the ice bucket challenge with his own twist, washing his car with ice cold water in a bikini top and short shorts brandished with “Kiss My ALS.” He dumps a bucket of ice water over his head and nominates Ellen Degeneres and Miley Cyrus to do the same.

Then, he gets real.

“ALS is so, so fucking scary, you have no idea,” he says. The degenerative disease has affected his grandmother and his mother, and this year at 26, he was also diagnosed.

“People are getting frustrated about seeing the ALS ice bucket challenge right now, and that’s fine, that means our awareness is working…I promise your news feed will go back to cat videos and ‘Let It Go’ covers, but right now, the ALS community has the main spotlight. For once in my entire life, I’ve seen it in the forefront.”

“Right now my hands are starting to atrophy away. They’re getting weak, I’m having trouble starting my car and buttoning my shirt. Eventually I won’t be able to use my arms or hands at all. Eventually I won’t be able to walk, talk, and breathe on my own.”

A fundraising page for Anthony explains that he was recently engaged, and is no longer working in order to focus on his health and spend time with family. If you’d like to donate, visit Youcaring.com.

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