A fundraising telethon to build a home for people suffering from degenerative disease ALS raised more than €900,000 yesterday evening. 

The Xarabank fundraiser sought to help campaigner Bjorn Formosa achieve his dream of building a home that is specially equipped for people living with ALS.

Mr Formosa's wife Maria thanked donors on Facebook. Photo: Facebook

"Thank you to the Maltese people. Now I can go to bed with my mind at rest, come what may," Mr Formosa, a 31-year-old IT guru who is also the founder of ALS Malta, said at the end of the fundraiser. 

READ:  Bjorn has one final wish before he can no longer speak

The fundraiser also featured a live call from Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who announced that the government would be paying for all services needed in the specialised home. 

Dozens of individuals, families and businesses pledged donations of more than €300 and will be thanked through customised tiles featuring their names in the home.

Donations reached €879,000 by the end of the TV show but people kept calling in with more pledges, with the final sum reaching €900,441. 

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. There is no known treatment or cure. 

The disease eventually leads to paralysis, meaning sufferers must live in homes in which doors, appliances, computers and other items can be operated by eye movement.