Castle Shima

For those of you who don't know, I was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease a couple of weeks ago... I hate baseball. I'd really much rather have been diagnosed with a basketball disease. Maybe Wilt Chamberlain disease. That's the one where you have sex 20,000 times and then you die.
-- Carla Zilbersmith

I never met Carla Zilbersmith, the accomplished singer, teacher, and comedianne. I have never even heard of her until I ran across an entry on another blog (hat tip: The Daily What).

Zilbersmith was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, better known as ALS, in 2007. Despite dying slowly, she kept living life as she wanted, the best she could. Trips, singing, and plays. She wrote her own blog Carla Muses and even starred in a documentary Leave Them Laughing: A Musical Comedy About Dying.

I'm going to have to get this movie when it becomes available.

Last month, Zilbersmith slipped into a coma and passed away. Before her death, she made this video that was to be played during her funeral. I'll be damned if she didn't make people laughing a priority.



Thank you for your humour and inspiration, Carla. We didnt get to meet, but its an honour to know you.