Team Gleason Foundation
Why I Back Team Gleason
I heard about Team Gleason through my co-worker and long-time friend Brian Bender. After his ALS diagnosis, the foundation supplied adaptive gear that let him keep communicating, eating, and moving with less strain on his caregivers. That equipment bought him time he could still call his own. Brian died in November 2023, but before he passed he said, “If you ever give back, give to Team Gleason.” I took that to heart.
ALS in Plain Terms
ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
It attacks the motor neurons that control voluntary muscle movement.
Muscles weaken and eventually stop working; breathing assistance is often required.
Average life expectancy after diagnosis is two to five years.
In North America ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, named after the New York Yankees first baseman who retired in 1939 after his diagnosis. Other well-known cases include:
Stephen Hawking – theoretical physicist who lived with ALS for more than 50 years.
Steve Gleason – former NFL safety; his experience led to the creation of Team Gleason.
Dwight Clark – San Francisco 49ers wide receiver, remembered for “The Catch.”
Referencing names like Hawking or Gehrig helps people picture what advanced ALS looks like: full cognitive awareness trapped in a body that no longer moves.
What Team Gleason Delivers
ALS moves faster than most patients or families can adapt. Team Gleason closes that gap by funding:
Assistive technology – eye-tracking speech devices, home automation, custom computer interfaces.
Mobility solutions – wheelchairs tailored to the patient’s house instead of hospital hallways.
Experience grants – final road trips, stadium visits, or simply a weekend away before travel becomes impossible.
The foundation’s work is practical and measurable: equipment shipped, trips completed, isolation reduced.
Where My Work Fits
I’m a photographer and cyclist based in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. Most mornings start on two wheels—sometimes motorized, sometimes pedal-powered—threading the coast, limestone karsts, and back-alleys. My images capture straightforward, unstaged moments: a vendor loading at sunrise, haze rolling across the bay, a lone cyclist pushing through midday heat.
Those photographs end up here as fine-art prints. At least 10 percent of every sale goes directly to Team Gleason. No sliding scale, no special editions; every purchase moves the same percentage.
How Contributions Help
Your money turns into:
A voice device for someone who can no longer speak.
A lift system that keeps a spouse from a back injury while caregiving.
One last trip with family before mobility closes in.
The foundation maintains a vetted request queue; donations simply shorten the wait.
Why Ten Percent
Ten percent is a baseline I can guarantee without cutting production quality or shipping reliability. If revenue grows, the absolute dollars to Team Gleason grow in step. Quarterly reports will confirm totals.
Call to Action
Buy a print. You get artwork for your wall, Team Gleason gets funding, and the remaining revenue keeps me on the road and behind the camera so the cycle continues.
Donate directly. If art isn’t what you need, give straight to Team Gleason.
Share this post. Visibility finds donors I’ll never meet.
Brian’s life changed because Team Gleason met urgent needs most healthcare systems don’t. Through photographs—and the miles that shape them—I aim to convert attention into resources for people who can’t wait. Thank you for helping turn images into action.
-Wes Marsala