Staten Island, NY - When Wagner College hosts Central Connecticut in a Northeast Conference (NEC) doubleheader on Saturday, January 31, the Seahawk athletic department is supporting ALS Awareness Day with 10 percent of the proceeds from all ticket sales going to ALS Association- Greater New York Chapter.

For Seahawk assistant men's basketball coach Mike Babul, the day will hold a special and particular meaning. His mother Joan, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2013, will serve as the team's honorary captain in the 4:00 p.m. tip-off, with the first game of the doubleheader kicking off with the 1:00 p.m. women's game. The life of a Division I assistant basketball coach is a demanding one. Some days are spent producing scouting reports on upcoming opponents and others focusing on player development. 

For Babul, the past two years have included a second job, of sorts. When he leaves his office at Wagner, he is thoroughly immersed in another challenge, constantly searching and scouring the internet for new information and updates on the treatment of ALS, and where the research is taking the medical profession.  ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.  Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body.

According to the ALS Association, it is estimated that ALS is responsible for nearly two deaths per 100,000 population annually. Approximately, 5,600 people in the US are diagnosed with ALS each year and the life expectancy of an ALS patient averages about two to five years from the time of diagnosis.  ALS can strike anyone, throughout the world, with no racial, ethnic or socioeconomic boundaries. Although not contagious, it is a growing epidemic that needs immediate attention and awareness. For the Babuls, it has been a fight that they choose not to give in to. 

"For as long as I could remember, my mother was the one that would always drive me to practices and games and is the nicest woman in the world," says Babul.  "All of my friends, growing up, and to this day, absolutely love her." 

Joan's first symptom dealt with a tingling sensation in her fingers which then it moved into her shoulders. "She told me that she wasn't feeling well and we went to multiple doctors until they were able to diagnose her," Babul recalls.

This past summer, the phenomenon of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge- the act of dumping a bucket of ice water on someone's head to promote awareness of the ALS disease and encourages donations to research – swept the nation..



This past year, more than 2.4 million tagged videos circulated on Facebook as it developed into a true social media phenomenon, leading directly to the creation of a countless number of videos, leading to a huge number of donations. 

Coach Babul did his challenge on August 20, after being "challenged" by senior center Hugo Naurais.
 
Joan Babul watches and follows every game that her son and the Seahawks partake, and according to Michael, "She always has the right words to say, in a win or loss, the following morning."

Babul spends time to speak with his mom on a daily basis. Joan now resides with her husband, and Mike's father, Michael Babul Sr. in Bluffton, South Carolina near Hilton Head.  While his dad, who coached young Mike at North Attleboro High School in Massachusetts, is the lone caretaker for Joan, Mike Jr. heads down to South Carolina immediately following the season.

"When the season ends, I look forward to spending a lot of time with her," Babul comments. "It puts things in perspective. After a tough loss, or when I'm doubting things that are going on in my life, I think about my mom, and what she has to go through. And it gives me the extra motivation to know that as much as she is going through, she is still fighting.

His mother's courageous battle has taught Babul that whatever emotional or physical demands are placed upon someone, it's how that particular person attacks them, that matters most.

"Mom has taught me a ton about being tough, and doing your job every day without complaining," he adds. "And about just being an overall good person."