Name: Meet the mom who started the Ice Bucket Challenge
Uploaded: 2014-11-19T15:55:50Z
Duration: 18 min 43 s
Description: 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.

It was actually comedian Oliver Pocher who [impersonated German chancellor Angela Merkel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOWCW_ceTGw) and participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge — not Chancellor Merkel herself. 

Chancellor Merkel's first name was mispronounced: It is Angela, not Andrea.

Nancy Frates: Meet the mom who started the Ice Bucket Challenge

Meet the mom who started the Ice Bucket Challenge

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.

A family's battle with ALS sparked the Ice Bucket Challenge, raising over $160 million and captivating millions worldwide in just weeks. What began with a baseball injury and a devastating diagnosis became a movement that made a rare, misunderstood disease a household name. The story highlights the power of positivity, teamwork, and relentless advocacy to turn personal pain into hope for thousands. The true impact went far beyond buckets of ice, igniting unprecedented awareness and research funding.