Pete Frates, one of the people who inspired thousands to give to charity through the spread of the Ice Bucket Challenge, has died. He was 34.<\/p>\n
Frates was a former baseball player at Boston College. He was diagnosed with ALS in 2012 at age 27 and immediately set out to fight the disease the would ultimately take his life.<\/p>\n
After a candlelit vigil in his hometown of Beverly and a funeral mass at his Alma mater, hundreds lined up Monday at St. John\u2019s Prep to pay their respects \u2013 all sporting his baseball number. The Frates say what keeps them going after their loss is the difference their son made for other people living with ALS.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the proudest moment. When you rack up all the accolades, and all the wonderful milestones that Pete has received over the past five years, nothing even comes in the same hemisphere as hearing an ALS patient who has decided to live with the disease,\u201d Nancy said.<\/p>\n
Pete\u2019s parents said the memorials held over the past week have been both sad and healing, because the focus has been on their son before he got sick.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been watching him suffer for a long time,\u201d Mother Nancy Frates said in an interview. \u201cAnd I haven\u2019t heard him call my name for six years. Since this week, the memorials have been much more about reminiscing. The reminiscing that\u2019s being done is of him before ALS.\u201d<\/p>\n
He leaves behind his wife, Julie, and their young daughter, Lucy.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur house is empty,\u201d Julie wrote on Facebook. \u201cThe debt left behind from years of around the clock nursing care is overwhelming, but so is your support. So, for the first time I hauled myself out of bed this morning in our quiet house and thought, ‘What would Pete do?’ He would face this all with bravery, and trust that the universe would respond.\u201d<\/p>\n
Frates announced that she is challenging her mother-in-law Nancy Frates \u2014 the \u201cmother of all mother bears, fundraiser of all fundraisers, force of all forces\u201d \u2014 ahead of the last annual \u201cPlunge 4 Pete\u201d on Dec. 28, on what would have been her husband\u2019s 35th birthday. For the last eight years, the polar plunge has been held to raise money for ALS research.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis past week has been one of mixed emotions,\u201d Nancy Frates wrote, announcing that it would be the final year. \u201cWe have, however, decided that this year\u2019s plunge will be our last. Honestly our hearts were not totally into it these past couple of years knowing that Pete could not attend and that he was back home in bed. So this will be the final PLUNGE 4 PETE. With that, we want to HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK! There\u2019s no I\u2019m going to do it next year!\u201d<\/p>\n