Steve Gleason stable, recovering in hospital after medical incident

Former New Orleans Saints safety and ALS commissioner Steve Gleason is stable and recovering at a local hospital following a medical incident earlier this week, according to his spokeswoman Clare Durrett.

Durrett said Gleason had a high fever and extremely low blood pressure on Wednesday, after which his doctor recommended he be hospitalized.

But that came after Hurricane Francine, a Category 2 storm, made landfall near Morgan City, Louisiana, with sustained winds of nearly 100 mph (160 km/h). Nearly 390,000 Louisiana residents were without power, and flooding occurred in New Orleans and the surrounding area.

Durrett said there was concern that emergency services and first responders would not be able to reach Gleason, but “fortunately they were able to do so at a time when Steve's health was deteriorating.”

“They immediately stabilized him and took him to Ochsner,” Durrett said. “He's there and stable. He's continuing to receive treatment and we hope Steve does the same as Steve and hangs on to get home as soon as possible.”

Gleason's official X-account posted an update Thursday morning thanking first responders and the hospital for their care of Gleason.

Gleason was diagnosed with ALS, for which there is currently no cure, in 2011. He now breathes on a ventilator. He communicates with his eyes via a special tablet attached to his wheelchair.

Gleason's team posted a message from him on Friday: “ALS is a disease like a hurricane. And on September 11th, Hurricane ALS made landfall in the midst of Hurricane Francine, power outages and poor phone service. Thank you for the outpouring of love and support from all of you. Celebrate this chance to be alive and breathing. Love you all – SG.”

A message from Steve. pic.twitter.com/pfYEwFANJE

— Steve Gleason – “Live Impossible” (@SteveGleason) 13 September 2024

A former Saints special teams captain who played seven seasons for New Orleans, Gleason is best known on the field for his blocked punt against the Atlanta Falcons in the Saints' first game after the Superdome reopened in 2006 following Hurricane Katrina. Today, he is an advocate for ALS awareness and works to provide technology, equipment and support services to other ALS patients through his nonprofit organization, Team Gleason.

Gleason received the 2024 Arthur Ashe Courage Award in July. He and co-author Jeff Duncan also recently published Gleason's memoir, “A Life Impossible,” which Gleason wrote through his eyes.