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
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.