Bryan Randall, the long-term partner of Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock, has died aged 57 after a three-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
“It is with great sadness that we share that on 5 August, Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with ALS,” his family shared.
“Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request.
“We are immensely grateful to the tireless doctors who navigated the landscape of this illness with us and to the astounding nurses who became our roommates, often sacrificing their own families to be with ours,” his family added.
The actress, 59, reportedly first met Randall when he photographed her son Louis’s birthday in January 2015.
Bullock has two adopted children, Louis Bardo Bullock, 13, and Laila Bullock, 11.
ALS is also commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, named after the famous New York Yankees baseball player who also had to retire from his profession, after he developed the rare disease in 1939. The disease affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
What is ALS?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurological disease affecting a person’s nerve cells which are responsible for helping to control voluntary muscle movement.
These muscles contract and relax under conscious control and include movement, such as chewing, talking, or walking.
It is estimated that there are around 5,000 people with ALS in the UK at any one time.
“For about 90 per cent of all cases, there’s no known family history of the disease or presence of a genetic mutation linked to ALS,” says the ALS Association, where you can find support for the condition.
It adds: “For five to 10 per cent of all cases, there’s a known family history of the disease. This is often called familial ALS.”
Early symptoms of ALS
- Muscle twitches in arms, legs, shoulder, or tongue
- Difficulty walking or undergoing normal daily activities
- Weakness in legs, feet, and ankles
- Muscle cramps
- Tight and stiff muscles
- Weakness in the legs, feet, or ankles
- Slurred speech or difficulty swallowing
- Hand weakness or clumsiness
- Inappropriate crying, laughing, or yawning
- Slurred and nasal speech
- Cognitive and behavioural changes
Is there a cure for ALS?
There is currently no cure for ALS.
The disease is progressive, meaning that symptoms get worse over time.
However, there are medications that have proven helpful in slowing the progression of ALS and extending the life of those who have been diagnosed with the disease. They can also help prevent complications and make patients more comfortable and independent.
