Stephen Hillenburg, creator of the long-running hit
Nickelodeon series 'SpongeBob SquarePants, has revealed that he has been
diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease ALS.
The
55-year-old animator shared a statement through Variety, announcing the
diagnosis and his plan to continue working on the series, which has
been on the air since 1999.
'I wanted people to
hear directly from me that I have been diagnosed with ALS.,' the
statement reads. 'Anyone who knows me knows that I will continue to work
on ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ and my other passions for as long as I am
able. My family and I are grateful for the outpouring of love and
support. We ask that our sincere request for privacy be honored during
this time.'
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or
ALS, is a neuro-degenerative disease that affects the neurons in the
brain which control voluntary motor functions.
There
is no known cure, and very little treatment available for those
diagnosed. While the life expectancy for those diagnosed is extremely
short, roughly 10% of sufferers live a decade or longer after detection
of the disease.
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