neuro note 2

For my second neuro note, I chose to watch a YouTube video called “Alex Coriells’ Journey with ALS.” The reason I chose to watch this video is because I wanted to learn more about this disease. This video is a tribute made by Alex’s wife showing the progression of his disease and how he was affected. Alex was diagnosed with ALS is January of 2013 and passed away roughly 3 years later in November of 2015. About eight months after his diagnosis, he required a feeding tube to eat. A few short months after losing his ability to eat and swallow, he lost his ability to walk. He relied heavily on his wife to be his caregiver, while also caring for their three sons. Alex’s family was very important to him and was a reason to find joy in the remainder of his ever-evolving new life. Also, Alex had strong faith in Jesus and believed in his plan.  Throughout his progression, he was able to talk but required assistive technology to be better understood. Alex was able to use his nose for a while but eventually had to switch to the use of his eyes. I think it is amazing there is technology in our day in age that allows communication using body parts other than mouths and hands. Once Alex lost the ability to walk, he had to switch to a wheelchair. I loved how the video was not all sad aspects of his life. For example, parts of the video showed Alex and his three children riding on his wheelchair while going into a store. One thing about ALS that sets it apart from other diseases how it hardly affects cognition. This means that the person’s body is slowing shutting down, but they are fully aware of what is going on and are essentially helpless. Because cognition is barely affected, mental health is a big part of this disease. It is important a person with ALS can hold onto hope and joy, so they do not stoop into a dark depression. Alex did a good job of not becoming too depressed by finding joy in his family and activities like sports. I could tell that he was a great husband and father and is truly missed by his family. However, he is in a better place and no longer in pain.

            Currently, we are learning about this disease in our neuro class. After watching this video, I feel that I have a better understanding of the disease because I was able to see how it affected an actual person. Although this video did not have many facts about the disease, it was beneficial to watch because observation is essential in learning. Personally, I am a visual learner and benefit more from seeing a person with a disease than learning about it through reading. I would recommend this video to people to watch because it is informative and a sweet tribute. The video is somewhat of a tear jerker, but in a positive way because it showed the good in Alex’s life as opposed to the bad.



Henderson, W. (2018, February 03). Alex Coriell's Journey With ALS. Retrieved August 13,  2019,
from https://alsnewstoday.com/2018/02/01/alex-coriells-journey-with als/?utm_source=ALSNews&utm_campaign=856209f0b7RSS_FRIDAY_EMAIL_CA            PAIGN&utm_medium=email&utmterm=0_0593028b75-856209f0b7-71721017