(Vienna, 30 September 2021) MedUni Vienna neurologist Hakan Cetin and his colleagues from the Neuromuscular Diseases Outpatient Clinic at MedUni Vienna's Department of Neurology are supporting the cause of ALS sufferer Michael Gradwell by cycling a leg of his journey from the German town of Donaueschingen to the Black Sea.
75-year-old Michael Gradwell was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) eighteen months ago. It was primarily through physicist Stephen Hawking that this serious disease of the central nervous system was brought to the public's attention. Worldwide charity campaigns such as the "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge" are repeatedly organised to raise awareness and gather in donations to fund research into this rare disease.
Michael Gradwell can now barely speak and finds swallowing difficult but is still able to ride a bicycle. That is why he launched the "Neurobike" campaign at the beginning of September, a 2,840-kilometre bike ride along the Danube to again draw attention to ALS and generate funding for research projects. Along his route he meets people and visits institutions involved in ALS treatment and research. In Vienna, the Irish-born doctor visited Hakan Cetin at Vienna General Hospital's Neuromuscular Diseases Outpatient Clinic at MedUni Vienna's Department of Neurology. The clinic is currently looking after nearly 100 patients - from clarification of the diagnosis including therapeutic measures through to advice on clinical studies.
Together with other colleagues from the Department of Neurology, Cetin cycled part of the way with Michael Gradwell, who hopes to reach his destination on the Black Sea by mid-November.