Jason Becker And ALS; Not Dead Yet

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So many people die from this disease yet Jason Becker still survives, thirty three years after his initial diagnosis. It's wild to me that he still can not only be just alive but still compose music and communicate. IIRC his family were the ones who came up with a way to communicate(think Hector Salamanca in Breaking Bad, but not as annoying with that damned bell).

I'm just in awe that this, well, IS. I don't get it. Sure, special diet and what not but how did his family keep him alive all these years?

From the stories I've heard, it takes a person rather quickly. Within just a few years of diagnosis the patient is dead yet here JB is, seemingly just chugging along. Maybe because it caught him when he was young?

ATS is a great place for odd questions like this so have at it guys, explain to me what I'm missing.

Jason has been one of my biggest guitar heroes since 1988.. it was heartbreaking to see him get the disease but it has also been incredible seeing his heart, mind and talent still shine through the years. He is a very special soul who has an incredible family, friends and fans. Love is the secret.

Wish I could go into specifics, but will refrain from familiarity. I've wondered the same thing. Only conclusion I've been able to come to in my unprofessional opinion is that sometimes people manage to deal with their hardships. Maybe it's genetics, maybe it's luck, and it's definitely a lot of preserverence.

a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

I watched a documentary a few years ago about Eddie Van Halen going to Jason's parents house to meet Jason in person and Eddie gifted him one of his guitars and spent the whole day hanging out with Jason and his family.

My ex wife was a hospice nurse and one of her patients had ALS and he passed within 2 or 3 years of diagnosis. A lot of factors come into play that can determine how long an ALS patient can survive and the biggest one seems to be their will to live as most of then don't have the resources or the support to keep going once they get to the point where they require a tracheotomy and supplemental oxygen and full time care. Then there's the level of care that they receive.

While not ALS, Christopher Reeve had the same degree of mobility after his accident as Jason has and he ended up dying from infections from constant bed sores. That broke my heart because Superman was the 2nd movie I saw in a theater as a kid so watching him die from bed sores was a little mind blowing.

What seems to keeps Jason going is a combination of a massive support system from his family who are his primary caregivers, and the ability to still write music thanks to the software that his dad designed for him. His dad also came up with the software that allows him to communicate, similar to what Stephen Hawking used. He's another one who lasted decades after his initial diagnosis. I believe that the common thread was that they were both passionate about their work, whether it be science or music, they had something that mentally kept them going whereas most patients don't want to live like that or be a burden to their families, or worse, lack the resources to have the level of care necessary for the longevity that both Jason and Hawking were blessed with.

It was honestly difficult to watch the documentary with Eddie Van Halen because I just wanted to remember Jason as half of Cacophony with Marty Friedman. I think it's really awesome though that when Jason composes music friends like Marty, Paul Gilbert and Steve Vai will come in and play these amazingly intricate pieces that Jason has composed.

I highly recommend the 2012 documentary, "Jason Becker Not Dead Yet". It's simultaneously heartbreaking and inspiring.

I get get what you are saying. It still baffles me how long Jason has survived. What his family has done to keep him alive, why is this not standard form for ALS patients, or maybe it is, but he's survived and I've never heard of a case that has lasted this long.

I just wish him the best and hope he lives a healthy life but damned if this doesn't just throw me for loops as to why it is.

a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

You're right about how amazing it is that Jason has survived so long. Though Stephen Hawking had it for 55 years before he passed away. The average life expectancy is 2 to 5 years. When my ex wife was a hospice nurse one of her patients had ALS and he lasted a little over 2 years post diagnosis. I think what keeps Jason going is the amazing support system he has from his family. His dad developed the software that allows Jason to communicate as well as another program that let's him continue to write music and he has some incredible friends who donate their time and fund studio time to record the music Jason writes. I think that gives him purpose and the will to carry on despite frequent hospitalizations for various issues related to his ability to breathe. He's an amazing human and composer as well as an example of what humans are capable of despite everything seemingly being against their odds of survival.