Toronto Maple Leafs great Borje Salming diagnosed with ALS
Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Borje Salming announced on Wednesday he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
"I have received news that has shaken my family and me,” the 71-year-old said in a statement released through the team. "The signs that indicated that something was wrong in my body turned out to be the disease ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease."
Salming, who played 16 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1973 to 1989 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996, said he recognizes there is currently no cure for ALS, but said “there are treatments available to slow the progression and my family and I will remain positive.”
"In an instant, everything changed. I do not know how the days ahead will be, but I understand that there will be challenges greater than anything I have ever faced."
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
ALS is a progressive nervous system disease that leads to paralysis, the inability to swallow, respiratory failure and finally death.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, 50 per cent of patients live at least three years after their diagnosis, while 20 per cent live five years or more. Up to 10 per cent of patients will survive more than 10 years.
According to his doctor, Salming is receiving treatment in his native country, Sweden, where there are more than 800 people living with ALS.
"ALS is a devastating disease that not only affects the muscles but can also affect personality and cognitive functions," Dr. Caroline Ingre, Salming's physician, said in a statement.
“In about 70 percent of diagnoses, the disease starts with symptoms from the spinal cord, which increasingly weakens the patient's arms and legs, while in about 30 percent it starts around the mouth and throat, leading to slurred speech and difficulties swallowing," she said. "These patients also often have an associated emotional impact that manifests itself as uncontrollable laughter or crying."
Ingre said that most ALS patients experience difficulty breathing, with symptoms most often appearing first at night.
According to the ALS Society Of Canada, approximately 3,000 Canadians live with the disease.
With files from The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.