Message Of Hope

This is a great story about Steve Gleason, former New Orleans Saint, who brought jubilation to a recovering city after the devastation from Hurricane Katrina. His most memorable moment was when he blocked a punt on the night the Superdome reopened for the first time since the storm. That moment continues to lift the spirits of everyone who saw the game.

However, five years after that memorable moment, a now retired Gleason has publically announced that he has been diagnosed with ALS or, more commonly, Lou Gehrig's disease. He hopes, with this disease, that he can inspire even more people and continue to inspire those who saw that amazing play in the Superdome, saying, "In a way, I see this as an opportunity to continue to be an inspiration, maybe even more so than I ever have been."

Since his diagnosis, Gleason has established a foundation, called, Team Gleason, which sets out to improve the quality of life for those with ALS. "You have to continue to do things you love," Gleason said. "There's technology available that, if I'm proactive, I can continue to do some of those things." Gleason hopes that, although this is a progressively fatal disease with no cure, he can reach as many people as he can and give them the inspiration to never give up on their lives.