Big Week for ALS Awareness

It should be a big week to get the word out on this devastating disease known as ALS.  Specifically because we have three great spokesmen and ambassadors in New Orleans for the Super Bowl.  These three people are Steve Gleason, O.J. Brigance, and Kevin Turner.  All three are former NFL players that have been diagnosed with ALS.  And to have even more of an impact, Steve Gleason and O.J. Brigance have great platforms.  Gleason played his whole career in New Orleans.  Brigance was a part of the Ravens team that won the Super Bowl in 2001.  He still works in the Ravens' front office and is a big inspiration to the current Ravens team despite his advanced state of ALS.  Nevertheless, all three have big plans this week to spread awareness and I could not be more excited.  Team Gleason has already released a powerful PSA that can be found here.  Team Gleason leaves this message on there website:

This video was created for Steve's football family – the players and coaches of the NFL – to show that whether they had lined up with him or against him on the field of play, they all support him in his fight against this cruel and unrelenting disease.

These great players all stand by Steve's belief that everyone who gets diagnosed with this disease has the right to fight, has the right to proper treatment and to the best available care. And they believe, like Steve does, that ALS is under-funded, under-resourced and largely ignored. And that this is NOT okay.

This video represents the players' commitment to do something:
• • To take ALS out of the shadows and get people talking about it.
• • To get the best and brightest scientific minds together and ask them what they need to cure ALS.
• • And to make some noise, pressure the right people and raise the money to make it all happen.

This video is a message from these elite players, among the best and strongest in the world, to all the victims of this horrific disease to say: We're all in this together. And it's an invitation to the rest of the world to join the fi ght, and put all of our heads together to find a cure for ALS.

Very powerful indeed.  I told my mom yesterday that I would be much worse off without these men.  We all need heroes and these men are mine.  Especially Gleason and Brigance.  Lets pray that they can make a big impact this week so that the day we cure this disease can come much sooner.