I just watched the Anthony video which talks about the disease behind the ice bucket challenge. At one point Anthony says people don't want to see the disease, see what it does to people. I thought back to when I had carpal tunnel syndrome and had surgery on both hands. I've never forgotten what it was like not to be able to use my hands in a healthy, functional way. And of course with ALS, it's much worse, with an unhappy ending.
I was thinking too about one of the main changes in me since I've gotten sick. The way I'd put it is that I've "crossed over." It's like belonging to a special unspoken club or something. I'm one of them, the crowd of people with an invisible condition that impacts my life. And having that layer of understanding I think is good for me. I'm not saying I'm glad I have my problems, but I understand things from a perspective that I think is very hard to comprehend if you don't have something to deal with. I'm not as quick to judge, more likely to remind myself that I may not know a whole situation. I remember when Leena and Cara were in grade school, there was something called Disability Awareness Week. I hope they still do it - it was PTO run by some very dedicated moms. They didn't of course cover everything, but in addition to wheel chairs, they touched on reading, writing and speech. I don't recall if there were other issues as well. I think if everyone could have the experience for even just a day of having some kind of challenge- and I'm including mental health - it would make a difference. 
I think it's true that people don't want to see conditions or illnesses. It's scary but it's real, and can happen to anyone, and that's why people need to talk about it. I felt uncomfortable when I saw Anthony dealing with his mother, but mostly I felt sad for him, for his future. I'm not going to "catch" ALS, and I certainly have some understanding of neurological problems. And isn't understanding and compassion a better approach than looking the other way in fear?