Former Saints special teams standout and ALS advocate Steve Gleason will receive the Congressional Gold Medal Wednesday afternoon at the U.S. Capitol. Gleason was diagnosed with ALS in 2011 and in that time he helped over 15,000 people deal with the crippling disease through Team Gleason and his no white flags movement.
“His life became one of meaning. His body is paralyzed, but his spirit is more active than anybody I know, creating positive change for people with ALS and frankly for all of us,” said Senator Bill Cassidy.
Cassidy worked on the honor on the Senate side will Cedric Richmond and Steve Scalise made the push on the House side. The distinction is the highest honor Congress can bestow on a civilian and fewer than 200 have been a recipient.
“Jackie Robinson, Mother Theresa, people who have not only made change in their sphere of life but changed the sphere of life for us all and Steve Gleason is that sort of person,” said Cassidy.
Gleason’s efforts have helped establish a database for thousands of ALS patients worldwide for researchers to access in an effort to combat the disease. Cassidy says Gleason has also worked with Microsoft to create communication tools.
“Congress has made this hardware and software available to all ALS patients through the Steve Gleason Give Them a Voice Act so his impact has been to work with Microsoft for something which helps preserve the dignity of communication for those with ALS,” said Cassidy.
