The man who served as the inspiration for the hugely successful Ice Bucket Challenge has died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at the age of 46.
Anthony Senerchia Jnr struggled with the illness, which is commonly called motor neurone disease in the UK, for 14 years but lived more than ten years beyond the doctor’s prognosis.
Mr Senerchia Jnr, who was from Pelham in New York, worked hard to raise awareness for motor neurone disease and was behind the viral ice bucket challengewhich raised over two hundred million dollars for research into the illness.
"He worked tirelessly to raise awareness for ALS and was directly responsible for the world-renowned Ice bucket challenge," reads his obituary on Pelham’s Funeral Home.
"Throughout his fight, Anthony maintained a positive attitude and would say 'It's not what we take from life, but what we give back to others is what ultimately defines us’".