North Madison Firefighter Battling ALS Challenges Jimmy Fallon

North Madison Volunteer Firefighter Amanda Bernier was diagnosed with ALS last year, just two weeks after she found out she was pregnant.

Now paralyzed by the disease that runs in her family, she’s participating in the ice bucket challenge and calling on the "Tonight Show"'s Jimmy Fallon to help her find a cure.

"I watched him every night in the hospital and even before that," Bernier said, speaking through an eye-tracking device. "It’s wonderful to go to sleep with a smile on my face."

Because she has a specific gene, Bernier is battling one of the most aggressive forms of ALS. She was able to give birth to a healthy baby girl, but Bernier’s condition has gotten worse.

"I went from running races, working full-time and being a firefighter to not being able to move and being on a ventilator in five months," Bernier said.

She and her husband had planned on going to a taping of Fallon’s show before Bernier got sick. Now they're unable to go because of her condition but hope her video will catch the comedian’s attention and help spread awareness about the serious disease.

"It may be too late for me," Bernier said. "But it’s not too late to find a cure for my daughter or future ALS patients."

Watch Bernier's ice bucket challenge video here.

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