On The Ice Bucket Challenge

I had become interested in ALS. The popular Ice Bucket Challenge had awakened my curiosity.

I had first seen Lionel Messi get doused with a bucket of ice-cold water, and wasn't completely aware of the relevance. As one of the people who often wondered why he showed no likelihood or willingness to take off his top in the usual post-match jersey exchange (something I attributed to his reserved nature), my only interest was peeping at an off-the-pitch Lionel Messi with fewer clothes on.

Clothed in fitted red sleeveless polo and black briefs, and dripping wet, I must say he was one eye candy, in a sexy way at that. I had gotten more curious afterwards, and gone on to look up "shirtless leo messi", and it turns out the young man isn't totally shy to bare it almost all. I was impressed with my findings.

Next was Shanel Cooper Sykes. Apparently, someone had nominated her to take on the challenge, and she had gone on to nominate yet more individuals to do same. Roger Federer was next, then Oprah and so on. At this point, I concluded it was an obodo oyibo (Western) thing, until our very own Genevieve Nnaji, Don Jazzy, P Square, Iyanya and others joined the bandwagon, and unfortunately, got blasted for it.

Quite ignorantly, Charles Nova, Yvonne Nelson and Joselyn Dumas had taken to twitter to dictate what awareness/cause our indigenous celebrities should be embarking upon, and according to them, it should be focused on issues more necessary and proximate to us Nigerians and Africans, say malaria, cholera and Ebola virus. Sadly, this handful of people represents many more who know next to nothing about the fatality of ALS.

According to the ALS Association, “model is to find people who are passionate about a cause and then ask for donations or to educate people (like Charles, Yvonne and Joselyn) and then seek out donations. (The ice bucket challenge is) something that’s fun that people can do ... people are taking part in it and then taking the info and donating.” Basically, the dousing and/or donation further the Association's mission to find a cure and awareness for ALS while funding the highest quality of care for people living with the disease.

About ALS in a flash:

• ALS, acronym for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease is an advancing, fatal disease of the motor nerve cells that control the skeletal muscles of the body.

• In this case, the muscles lose their nerve supply and waste away, resulting in weakening and paralysis.

•  ALS affects about 60,000 people WORLDWIDE, affects more males than females within the age range of 20 and 90.

•  ALS patients lose control of their entire nervous system, become unable to eat or speak audibly, produce excessive saliva and drool, may laugh or cry uncontrollably and experience difficulty breathing. 

• Eventually, when the diaphragm muscles become to degenerated to perform their normal functions, death usually results from respiratory failure.

• Contrary to  critics' opinion, I dare say it is possible some Africans had in the past died or presently suffer from this disease unknowing to them and medical practitioners.

• There is no cure yet for ALS. 

Like the Ebola Virus, here's another deadly disease that deserves all the global attention it's generated, whether the participants did it genuinely or for the fame. The cruel, apathetic and foolish thing would be people like Charles/Yvonne/Joselyn underplaying the severity of this disease and undermining their colleagues' involvement in a campaign for a COMMON GOOD that seeks to find a cure. I don't understand what's "second-class mentality" about it, as Charles Nova accused. I wonder if he had similar opinion when America celebrities also got involved in the #bringbackourgirls campaign, when they were miles disconnected from our plight.

For what it's worth, Genevieve, Don Jazzy, et al did more good than them bitching about it on the internet just to score two minutes of fame, if not, I wouldn't know who Charles and Joselyn looked like or what Yvonne ever wrote on her twitter handle. Otherwise, why else would they think they had valid points, especially when none of them spearheaded anything charitable or patriotic for their countries/continents? 

The same way the world rallied around us (for whatever reasons) during the #bringbackourgirls campaign, and still do in the current Ebola epidemic, I also endorse the #icebucketcampaign.

People like Charles, Yvonne and Josyln need to know that apathy to other people's problems because they aren't their problems is worse. ALS doesn't have to affect them directly before they deem it relevant to show compassion to its victims.

Kudos to thoughtful Genevieve Nnaji, Don Jazzy, P Square, Iyanya, Davido, and every other Naija celebrity who were belittled by some small people for taking part in a noble cause.

I like.