Steve Gleason shares reaction to receiving the Congressional Gold Medal
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Steve Gleason was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on Thursday, becoming the first New Orleanian and former NFL player to receive the highest civilian honor Congress can bestow. Here is his response to receiving the award:
"I played eight seasons in the NFL, and I’m in my eighth season with ALS. ALS is a remorseless and humiliating disease. During my eight years in the NFL, I was fortunate to have coaches, and other players, that would mentor and support me. I’m indebted and grateful to those people. I feel undeserving of their grace and mentorship.
"When I was diagnosed with ALS in 2011, I was an undrafted rookie all over again. No strategy. No play book. No solutions. All I had was my wife and our families to turn to for emotional support. After some desperate seeking, Michel and I began to find mentors and solutions to battle this disease. Similarly, I feel undeserving of their grace and mentorship.
"Eight years later, Michel and I have two spectacular kids, Rivers and Gray. I’m productive and purposeful. In many ways, I feel I’ve conquered ALS. Not only that, our foundations help others to be fellow conquerors - until we find treatments and a cure.
"Today (Thursday) I learned that Congress has confirmed my nomination for the Congressional Gold Medal. Talk about feeling undeserving! The list of past winners is filled with enlightened and powerful giants of humanity. It’s ridiculously overwhelming.
"I’m grateful to Michel, our families, my caretakers, our Team Gleason staff, the researchers of Answer ALS, and the cities of Spokane and New Orleans, for gracefully shining the light to lead me.
“I am honored, and accept the Congressional Gold Medal for all the families who have been diagnosed with ALS, as well as anyone struggling to overcome life’s inevitable adversities.”
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