Stephen Heywood
Encyclopedia
Stephen Heywood was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 builder
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...

 and self-taught architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

, specializing in the renovation of old houses.http://www.boston.com/partners/worldnow/necn.html?catID=83459&clipid=1961887&autoStart=true&mute=false&continuous=true

He was diagnosed with ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a form of motor neuron disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower neurons, located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and the cortical neurons that provide their efferent input...

 in 1998, at the age of 29. He was the subject of His Brother's Keeper: A Story from the Edge of Medicine, written by the Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...

 winning author Jonathan Weiner
Jonathan Weiner
Jonathan Weiner is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of non-fiction books on his biology observations, in particular evolution in the Galápagos Islands, genetics, and the environment....

, and the documentary film, So Much So Fast
So Much So Fast
So Much So Fast is a documentary written and directed by Academy Award nominees Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan. This film premiered in competition at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, and won the Audience Award at the Boston Independent Film Festival....

, which premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...

.

Stephen Heywood was a catalyst in the ALS research field, driving scientists and leaders to find effective treatments for ALS patients. He is survived by his wife, Wendy (Stacy) Heywood and son, Alexander Stephen Heywood; two brothers, James Heywood, and Benjamin Heywood, co-founder of a website for patients with ALS and other life-changing illnesses, PatientsLikeMe
PatientsLikeMe
PatientsLikeMe is a data-driven social networking health site that enables its members to share condition, treatment, and symptom information in order to monitor their health over time and learn from real-world outcomes. Members are able to find and connect with patients like them, gain social...

.http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/somuchsofast/heywoods/ben.htm; and his parents, John Heywood
John Heywood
John Heywood was an English writer known for his plays, poems, and collection of proverbs. Although he is best known as a playwright, he was also active as a musician and composer, though no works survive.-Life:...

, Sun Jae Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Peggy (Gilkerson) Heywood.

Stephen lived in Newton, Massachusetts
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...

 with his wife and son until his death at age 37. He died from a detached respirator in November 2006.

External links

  • So Much So Fast Frontline
  • PatientsLikeMe.com, a website for patients with ALS and other life-altering conditions, set up by Stephen's brothers Jamie and Ben Heywood
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