How did Stephen Hawking survive so long despite having ALS?

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.

Executive Producer: Zhang Jingwen

Producer: Yang Sha

Director: Li Yue and Xu Wen

Videographer: Zhao Wenting and Wang Yue

Cover photo: Yin Yating