As 2026 dawned, ALS advocate Cai Lei shared a heartfelt open letter with the global “locked-in” community. At 47, the former vice president of JD.com has spent the past six years racing against time to push ALS research forward.
Health Status & Daily Battles
Composed entirely via eye-tracking technology 💻✨, his message reveals he’s now in the late stages of the disease. On the ALS Functional Rating Scale, Cai’s score has slipped into single digits, reflecting steep declines in mobility, speech, and respiratory function. “ALS is unimaginably cruel,” he writes, describing a clear mind trapped in a body “immobilized like a magnet.”
Eyes on the Prize: Scientific Breakthroughs
Despite these hurdles, Cai continues to work over ten hours a day. He’s building data-driven platforms and forging international collaborations, convinced that scientific innovation 🧬🔬 is the key to unlocking a cure. His New Year letter is both a candid look at life with ALS and a rallying cry for global unity in research.
His journey reminds us that even in our toughest battles, hope and progress can shine through. 💪
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
