Steve Gleason

Steve Gleason was a safety for the New Orleans Saints. At 34 years old he started feeling a twitch in his arms, shoulders, and back. Symptoms progressively worsened, and a year later he was diagnosed with ALS. After his diagnosis, he founded the organization "Team Gleason" which advocates for individuals diagnosed with ALS. He also began recording a video journal of his life that is now a documentary called "Gleason". Steve Gleason is married, and after his diagnosis he and his wife decided to have a child together. I thought this was so interesting and very telling of their love for one another! In 2013, Steve was given the opportunity to work with Microsoft in developing a wheelchair that could be controlled with eye gaze, and he became the first person with one of these chairs! Eventually, Steve was put on a trach and feeding tube, so he is now completely dependent on this technology. Through all of the struggles that ALS can cause, Steve continues to work hard in his roles as a father and a husband, and also advocates for individuals with ALS.

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