Political Quotes

“To thousands of Americans living with ALS and end-stage Parkinson's disease, the Steve Gleason Act literally means the difference between the ability to speak and silence. I had the great privilege 2 weeks ago to spend about an hour with Steve and his mother in Steve's home in New Orleans. You have heard about Steve's exploits on the football field and how he inspired so many in that first return back to the Superdome after Katrina. But Steve lost his ability to speak and is wheelchair bound due to ALS. This happened earlier this year. His 2011 diagnosis could have been a tragedy, but he turned it into something amazing and good. When I visited with Steve, it was amazing to see the fire and the spirit in his eyes because, despite all that has happened to him, he is determined to help a lot of people. He told me: I am not going to give up until you guys pass this legislation so we could help so many others who don't have access to this technology that I have been blessed to have. So Steve started Team Gleason, an advocacy organization. Its main priority is to raise awareness for ALS. And Steve is communicating, using this amazing technology, but he knows not all individuals with ALS or end-stage Parkinson's have the resources to be able to afford these expensive devices.…”