ALS Awareness Project Led by an ALS Patient

The END ALS Association (Representative: Motoi Ito, Tokyo, Japan) announced the launch of their Merry & Bright - EEG Illumination project. The objective of this project is to enable Masahiro "Hiro" Fujita, an ALS patient and founder of the association, who has lost all movement and almost all means of communication to share his Christmas spirits with his loved ones using his brainwaves to light up colorful Christmas illuminations.

Most of the time Hiro is stuck at home, in his bed 24x7. Communication is also becoming more and more difficult as he has lost his facial expression as well the ability to communicate smoothly with his eyes. In order to enable Hiro and his friends to connect and share the heartwarming and joyful Christmas spirit, NeuroSky's mindwave headband (EEG biosensor technology) was connected to the Christmas illuminations by LAB 13, MRM//McCann's innovation studio. The headband was placed inside a Santa hat, as Hiro wears the Santa hat the illuminations reveal his mind in different colors.

Hiro's room was designed by Yohei Taneda, the Hollywood production designer and the film shot by Kensaku Kakimoto, film director, who has been the author of all past END ALS films. Both talent coming together in support of this good cause.

Hiro was diagnosed with ALS in 2010 just before his 31^st birthday. This is his 10^th year battling the illness. In 2014, the ice bucket challenge brought ALS under the spot light, however, this cruel illness is not fully understood nor has a cure been found. Another objective of this project is to further spread the word, awareness and understanding in hope of finding the cure and getting rid of this illness as soon as possible.

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