Ideas change everything

Meet the mom who started the Ice Bucket Challenge

1,112,329 plays|

Nancy Frates |

TEDxBoston

• October 2014

Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge craze this summer? Meet the mom who started it all. When Nancy Frates's son Pete hurt his wrist in a baseball game, he got an unexpected diagnosis: it wasn’t a broken bone, it was ALS, and there is no cure. In this inspiring talk, Nancy tells the story of what happened next.

Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge craze this summer? Meet the mom who started it all. When Nancy Frates's son Pete hurt his wrist in a baseball game, he got an unexpected diagnosis: it wasn’t a broken bone, it was ALS, and there is no cure. In this inspiring talk, Nancy tells the story of what happened next.

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxBoston, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

Help fight ALS. Participate in a campaign to create a world without Lou Gehrig's disease.

About the speaker

Mother + ALS Advocate

See speaker profile

Nancy Frates and her family have raised a projected $160 million for ALS research in 2014. How? They kicked off the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to honor 29-year-old Pete Frates.

About TEDx

TEDx was created in the spirit of TED's mission, "ideas worth spreading." It supports independent organizers who want to create a TED-like event in their own community.

Find a TEDx event near you

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxBoston, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

Help fight ALS. Participate in a campaign to create a world without Lou Gehrig's disease.

Nancy Frates: Meet the mom who started the Ice Bucket Challenge | TED Talk