How did Stephen Hawking survive so long despite having ALS? https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/105e8a3a-35f9-4f70-a3c0-c6ba82e766c9 For more: https://www.cgtn.com/video Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. According to the ALS Association, the average survival time following diagnosis is about three years. However, Stephen Hawking, the renowned physicist and author of A Brief History of Time, defied these odds dramatically. Diagnosed at 21 in 1963, he lived with the disease for an extraordinary 55 years until his death in 2018. CGTN speaks with Professor Fan Dongsheng, a leading neurologist at Peking University Third Hospital, to explore what factors might help extend the survival time of people living with ALS. Subscribe to us on YouTube: https://goo.gl/lP12gA Download our APP on Apple Store (iOS): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cctvnews-app/id922456579?l=zh&ls=1&mt=8 Download our APP on Google Play (Android): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.imib.cctv Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:49:26 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://tankie.tube How did Stephen Hawking survive so long despite having ALS? https://tankie.tube/lazy-static/avatars/3ba3ff73-a8b6-49c9-add8-9653ef090c7f.webp https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/105e8a3a-35f9-4f70-a3c0-c6ba82e766c9 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://tankie.tube/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.