Patrick Quinn
Born(1983-02-10)February 10, 1983
Yonkers, New York
DiedNovember 22, 2020(2020-11-22) (aged 37)
Yonkers, New York
Cause of deathAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Known forALS activism; Ice Bucket Challenge
SpouseJennifer Flynn (divorced)

Patrick Quinn (February 10, 1983 – November 22, 2020) was an American amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) activist who helped generate awareness and raise more than US$220 million for medical research through the Ice Bucket Challenge, a viral social media campaign.[1]

Early life

Quinn was born on February 10, 1983, in Yonkers, New York, to Rosemary and Patrick Quinn Sr. He went to Iona College in New Rochelle, New York, where he was part of the rugby team.[2] He was diagnosed with the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease (also known as motor neuron disease and in the U.S. as Lou Gehrig's disease) on March 8, 2013, a month after his 30th birthday.[1][3]

ALS advocacy

Along with fellow ALS activist and captain of the Boston College baseball team, Peter Frates,[4] Quinn helped draw attention to ALS by co-creating the Ice Bucket Challenge, a video enabled fundraiser, that went viral and helped generate more than $220m for medical research for the disease.[1] The challenge went viral in 2014, when celebrities and common people all across the world filmed short-form videos of themselves dumping buckets of ice water on their heads, committing to donations for ALS research, and asking others to do the same.[5] The campaign had over 20 million videos being created and shared with celebrities including former President George W. Bush, Bill Gates,[6] Justin Bieber,[7] LeBron James,[8] Leonardo DiCaprio, Lady Gaga, and Oprah Winfrey.[2]

The campaign started in Florida with golfer Chris Kennedy, who took the challenge to cheer a family member with ALS; the news soon reached Quinn and Frates, who took up promoting the challenge on social media.[9] Both Quinn and Frates undertook the challenge in support of the Cambridge, MA, based ALS Therapy Development Institute.[10]

Writing in their book, Ice Bucket Challenge: Pete Frates and the Fight Against ALS, authors Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge note that Frates went on to become Quinn's mentor, drawn by his "determination, grit, drive, and passion" and also the kinship from the fact that both were much younger than the average ALS patient.[11]

Quinn continued his advocacy after the challenge through his foundation "Quinn for the Win," to generate awareness of the disease and raise funds for research.[3] He continued to speak in forums raising awareness and conducted the challenge annually every August, in Yonkers, NY, called "Every August Until the Cure".[2] He was honored by the ALS Association with the "ALS Heroes" award in 2015, for his "significant positive impact" on the fight against ALS.[3] He was also nominated along with Frates for TIME Magazine's Person of the Year for his role in raising awareness for the disease and promoting research.[5]

In a statement, the ALS Association, acknowledging Quinn's efforts, went on to say, "The Ice Bucket challenge dramatically accelerated the fight against ALS, leading to new research discoveries, expansion of care for people with ALS, and greater investment by the government in ALS research.”[12] Speaking of his specific role, the ALS Association said, "Pat changed the trajectory of the fight against ALS forever. He inspired millions to get involved and care about people who are living with ALS."[2] Frates had died of the disease a year earlier at the age of 34.[2]

Personal life

Quinn married Jennifer Flynn, his girlfriend at the time of his diagnosis with ALS, in 2014.[2][13] The union later ended in a divorce.[14]

Quinn died on November 22, 2020, at the St. John's Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, New York, after suffering from ALS for seven years.[15] He was 37 years old.[2][16]

References

  1. 1 2 3 agencies, Staff and (November 23, 2020). "Ice Bucket Challenge co-creator Patrick Quinn dies aged 37". the Guardian. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 León, Concepción de (November 23, 2020). "Pat Quinn, Who Promoted A.L.S. Ice Bucket Challenge, Dies at 37". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 "Remembering Pat Quinn, ALS Hero and Co-Founder of the Ice Bucket Challenge". The ALS Association. Archived from the original on November 22, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  4. ↑ Robinson, Meyer (August 15, 2014). "Why Did the Ice Bucket Challenge Go Big? Boston". The Atlantic. The Atlantic. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Ice Bucket Challenge co-creator Patrick Quinn dies at age 37". Reuters. November 22, 2020. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  6. ↑ Fonrouge, Gabrielle (November 22, 2020). "Pat Quinn, co-founder of Ice Bucket Challenge, dead at 37 after losing ALS battle". New York Post. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Justin Bieber Ice Bucket Challenge ALS – Justin Bieber Nominates Obama, Ellen & Chris D'Elia". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on April 25, 2019. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  8. ↑ "King vs. president? LeBron takes Ice Bucket Challenge, tags Obama". Fox Sports. August 17, 2014. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Vision summer 2015". Issuu. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  10. ↑ "YFALS and the Ice Bucket Challenge: Five Years On". ALS Therapy Development Institute. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  11. ↑ Sherman, Casey; Wedge, Dave (September 5, 2017). The Ice Bucket Challenge: Pete Frates and the Fight against ALS. University Press of New England. ISBN 978-1-5126-0159-6.
  12. ↑ "Co-Founder of Viral ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Dies at 37 | Voice of America - English". www.voanews.com. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Hero ALS advocate and Ice Bucket Challenge founder opens up about life and marriage breakup". IrishCentral.com. January 18, 2019. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  14. ↑ León, Concepción de (November 23, 2020). "Pat Quinn, Who Promoted A.L.S. Ice Bucket Challenge, Dies at 37". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Pat Quinn, co-creator of viral ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, dies at 37". Hindustan Times. November 23, 2020. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  16. ↑ "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Co-Creator Patrick Quinn Dead at 37". TMZ. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
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