Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking is known to be one of the most accomplished people in the field of science despite his disabilities. Today, it has once again been proven that nothing can stop the professor who celebrates his 75th birthday as continues to defy the odds that are stacked against him. Professor Hawking has been noted to have lived for more than 50 years with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis commonly called as ALS. His survival despite the condition has recently been put to spotlight as the normal life expectancy for people in his position wouldn't be able to reach this longevity.
Stephen Hawking Marks his 75th Birthday Making Him The Oldest Person With ALS
In one of the statements revealed by Mirror, as the Cambridge Professor celebrates his 75th birthday, the Motor Neurone Disease Association was quoted to have considered Hawking as their patron, wishing him a very happy birthday. In celebration of his birthday, he was reportedly spotted attending the 3pm screening of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story at the Light Cinema near his home in Cambridge. One of the cinema goers said that he saw the professor together with his friends as they were leaving the cinema, the unnamed witness has also added that they all looked happy and as though they had enjoyed the film.
On the other hand, according to Medical Daily, for people living with the same condition as Hawking, it was found that roughly 10 percent live more than 10 years. With this, the professor has indeed persevered for five times that period, making him as one of the longest, if not the longest, surviving patients with ALS in history. Meanwhile, a significant number of experts have attributed that the longevity to a slowly progressing form of ALS, which has been noted to rarely take place. Ultimately, as we do not fully understand the nature of the disease and what really causes it, some experts also believe that ALS as we know it is actually a number of different yet related diseases.
