Rebel: ALS has made me ‘see how much people care and love and support me before I’m gone’
Battling one of the worst diseases on the planet has allowed Rebel (Tanea Brooks) to see how much people truly love her.
WDRB News in Louisville ran a story this week on Rebel’s battle against ALS and the support she’s received within the wrestling industry. That will continue tonight (July 24) with Truth Magnum of AEW tag team The Outrunners holding a benefit show at Headliners Music Hall in Louisville. The event is being put on by Magnum’s Dream Pro Wrestling promotion, and all proceeds go toward the organization I Am ALS.
I Am ALS is a patient-led advocacy group that Rebel has partnered with. To help raise awareness and funds, AEW wrestlers and others within the wrestling industry have been doing the Ice Bucket Challenge in honor of Rebel. AEW has also started its own “Rebel Heart” fundraiser to benefit ALS research.
“The greatest thing ALS has given me is to be able to see how much people care and love and support me before I am gone,” Rebel told WDRB News.
Rebel’s fight for a cure —
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a fatal disease that has no cure. Rebel told WDRB that she knows a cure won’t be found in time to save her life, but she wants to do everything she can to help others who will be diagnosed in the future. It’s not in her rebel spirit to just sit around and not do anything.
“If we don’t have awareness, we can’t get funds,” she said. “If we can’t get funds, then we can’t get research. If we can’t get research, we can’t get a cure.”
The average life expectancy for someone diagnosed with ALS is 2-5 years, though there can be outliers who live longer than that. Ultimately resulting in her ALS diagnosis, Rebel went through a terrible health ordeal where doctors could not initially figure out what was wrong with her.
“My whole body is becoming paralyzed, but I feel everything,” Rebel told WDRB when asked what ALS feels like.
Britt Baker, Sting, and The Young Bucks are some of Rebel’s AEW colleagues who have participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge to support her. Rebel has also remained close with some of her former TNA co-workers like Gail Kim.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.