NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Staff
members from Saint Peter's University Hospital took the Ice Bucket Challenge on
Wednesday to help raise awareness about ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and
are encouraging fellow healthcare workers throughout New Jersey to follow suit
in support of the cause.
The Ice Bucket Challenge to aid ALS research has become a social media
sensation since July, as an estimated 15 million people have doused themselves
with ice water in videos posted via Facebook. Participants include the young and
the old, celebrities, and even politicians, including Chris Christie, New
Jersey’s governor. The ALS Association has received $41.8 million in donations
as a result, compared to $2.1 million during the same time period last year
(July 29 to August 21). Those donations have come from existing donors and
739,275 new donors to the association as a result of the Ice Bucket Challenge.
“I got challenged by my exercise group and then I challenged the whole ICU
(Intensive Care Unit),” said Mila Shymkiv, a nurse in the Saint Peter’s ICU and
a resident of Middlesex Borough. “Then someone suggested that we do a group Ice
Bucket Challenge. We were inspired to do it as something positive to educate
people about ALS and raise public awareness about the disease. The idea grew from
there and we had people from other departments outside of the ICU take part in
the challenge.”
Saint Peter's Ice Bucket Challenge from Saint Peter's Healthcare System on Vimeo.
For more information about the Ice
Bucket Challenge and ALS go to www.alsa.org
About Saint Peter’s University
Hospital
Saint Peter’s University Hospital is a
478-bed acute-care teaching hospital sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Metuchen. Saint Peter’s is a state-designated children’s hospital and a
regional perinatal center, and is a regional specialist in geriatrics,
oncology, orthopedics, women’s services, and ambulatory care. The Children’s Hospital
at Saint Peter’s University Hospital provides families with access to a full
range of pediatric specialties, including pediatric cardiology through its
affiliation with The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Saint Peter’s is a
sponsor of residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and
internal medicine and is a major clinical affiliate with Rutgers University Biomedical
and Health Sciences. Saint Peter’s also
sponsors residency programs in radiology and orthopedic surgery. Visit www.saintpetershcs.com
for more information.