Faith and Film: Gleason
Movie Review by Fr. Tom Condon, O.P.
Steve Gleason is a well-known figure in New Orleans, where I live. Gleason came to New Orleans from Washington State to play football for the New Orleans Saints Football team. Steve was small for a pro football player, but was known for his spirit, speed, and toughness. Steve retired from the Saints in 2009 to spend more time with his new wife, Michel.
In 2011, Steve received the dreaded diagnosis of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). This debilitating disease often attacks young people, and life expectancy is 1-5 years. Just six weeks after the diagnosis, Michel learned that she was pregnant. Steve and Michel were overjoyed at the news they were to be parents. But Steve also knew that he was unlikely to live to see his child grow up. So he began to record his thoughts to a video camera, so that his child would have something to remember him by.
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