So last night I stumbled across the +Documentary titled "Hawking" on +Netflix , so being a fan of his brilliant brain and +Theoretical_physics I sat and watched it. It was beautifully done, written and narrated by Hawking himself.
He talks about how he was stricken with A.L.S (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) which is also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease which essentially means increasing paralysis throughout the body. It's an auto neuron disease which changes the signalling to the brain responsible for movement. Over time, all muscles basically wither away and atrophy.
At 20 years old he was given 2-3 years left to live; at the time he was a graduate student at Cambridge University working on his thesis "Properties of Expanding Universe" and there was doubt he would live long enough to finish it. I believe his brilliant mind and determination to finish that thesis and start a life with his then fiancée, Jane is what kept him going.
Over time his condition deteriorated and he had almost died while working on his widely successful book "A Brief History of Time". This man is amazing. He lost use of legs, then his hands, then the ability to speak but he never gave up on his work, he seemed to view it as more of an inconvenience more than anything else and even refused to have round the clock care by nurses until an incident that involved him getting very sick requiring a tracheotomy and breathing tube.
Throughout his struggles he always maintained focused on his work in +Cosmologyand Physics. This work and his ever curious mind is what has kept him going seeing how ALS doesn't really affect the mind, it's purely muscular.
Over the years he has continued his work, has had bestselling books, tours around the world doing public speaking all the while holding the position of Director of Research at the centre for Theoretical Cosmology at Cambridge University, a position once held by Isaac Newton.
What an +Inspiration Hawking is. He has so many loyal fans that respect not only his body of work and accomplishments, but the fact that his disability hasn't stopped him from always moving forward with his life.
Stephen Hawking turned 73 yesterday and he's still going strong defying all odds. He was married twice but his first wife/love, Jane and he have buried the hatchet and remain close to this day, they have 2 children together.
I can honestly say that I think this man is one of my all time +Heroes .
Are you fan of Stephen Hawking?
"Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious." ~ Stephen Hawking
