NFL’s Chris Johnson Diagnosed with ALS at 39, Uses Device to Help Him Speak & Reveals How Eric Dane’s ‘GMA’ Interview Helped Him

Getty Images Chris Johnson , a former star running back for the Tennessee Titans in the NFL, has been diagnosed with ALS. “There’s no history of ALS in my family,” Chris shared on GMA on Monday (June 29). “That’s one of the reasons this disease can be so shocking. It can happen to someone who never expected it.” About his first symptom, he shared, “I first noticed weakness in my right hand. At first, it was little things like my grip didn’t feel right and I wasn’t as strong as I’ve always been.” His wife Brittany Johnson shared, “I thought because of football and, you know, his career, that it had to be something with that. Maybe … a pinched nerve or something along those lines, but never ALS.” He revealed his reaction to receiving the diagnosis “Honestly, I don’t know if you ever fully process it. At first, you’re in shock. Then you realize you have two choices. You can give up, or you can fight. I chose to fight.” He reached out to Eric Dane’s doctor after seeing them on GMA Last year, Eric Dane sat down for an interview about the disease with his doctor, Dr. Merit Cudkowicz , a neurologist and ALS researcher. “After watching ‘Good Morning America’ and seeing Dr. Merit with Eric Dane, we reached out to her. She was willing to think more creatively, offering experimental treatments that might help and advance research,” he said. He continued, “We’ve been with her ever since, and that changed the course of our fight.” Eric tragically died earlier this year after battling the condition. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Good Morning America (@goodmorningamerica) Chris Johnson’s disease has progressed rapidly and he now uses a device to speak “It’s continued to progress much faster than I ever imagined. I want people to understand just how quickly ALS can attack your body. Just over a year ago, I was picking up my 7-year-old daughter so she’d make a wish with her birthday cake. Today, I couldn’t do that.” “I can’t even hold a cup if I try, and that’s despite being diagnosed relatively early and doing everything we can, including participating in multiple experimental treatments. That’s why early detection, more research, and better treatments are so important. We have to give people a better chance than what’s available today,” he shared. What is ALS? The Mayo Clinic notes that ALS is “a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. ALS causes loss of muscle control. The disease gets worse over time.” Is there a cure for ALS? There is no cure for ALS and while some patients can live for decades, most people usually live for three to five years after their diagnosis. Where to donate to help fund research for ALS You can learn more and donate at ALS.com . The post NFL’s Chris Johnson