Former New Orleans Saints safety Steve Gleason has displayed toughness and grit over the past several years as he continues to fight ALS. Unfortunately, the 47-year-old suffered a medical event last Wednesday that sent him to the hospital.
Gleason, though, recovered and went back home with his family on Tuesday night, via his Instagram.
“I've been inside for six days, so to be greeted by the full Mooooooooooooooon, the Oaks, and our family … Reborn,” Gleason captioned the photos of him and his family.
In addition to recovering from his health scare, though, Gleason had to deal with natural disaster as well.
Sean Gleason's legacy extends beyond his Saints career
Gleason was hospitalized due to a fever and low blood pressure, his publicist Clare Durrett told ESPN, via ESPN's Katherine Terrell.
“His physician suggested he go to the hospital for evaluation, which was made more complicated by Hurricane Francine, a Category 2 storm that had made landfall in Louisiana,” Terrell explained. ‘Thousands of people in New Orleans lost power because of the hurricane, whose winds reached almost 100 mph at landfall. Additionally, street flooding in parts of New Orleans made it difficult for EMS and first responders to travel while the storm was still moving through the area.”
This isn't the first time Gleason's been tied to a New Orleans hurricane, as the most famous moment of his football career came in 2006, when he blocked a punt against the Atlanta Falcons in the Saints' first home game since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city.
Gleason was lucky that first responders were able to reach him despite the storm.
“Durrett had said there was a concern that EMS and first responders would not be able to reach Gleason, but ‘luckily, they made it through to him at a time when Steve's health was deteriorating,'” Terrell continued.
Gleason, who got diagnosed with ALS in 2011, is one of the disease's most well-known activists. The Saints legend has spoken at United Nations-sponsored events and received a Congressional Gold Medal of Honor in 2020, as well as the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2024 ESPY's.
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