February 2025
by Tyann Pierce
First and foremost, I have to thank Team Gleason for selecting me for the Super Bowl LIX experience.
The reason I choose the Super Bowl experience is because I have loved football ever since I was a kid.
When I was seven years old my dad passed away and I went to live in Reston Virginia with my mom and stepdad. They knew Joe Gibbs.
We would often go to games and I would ask questions about the game to understand plays and at that time I was a Redskins Fan.
I was a kid growing up in northern Virginia and I thought it was cool that my mom knew Joe Gibbs.
As I got older my love of football grew stronger. I went to games all over. I changed teams. I enjoyed tailgating.
Football was and is my way of relaxing and enjoying family time together with food, family and football whatever else do you need?
Since my diagnosis of ALS I haven’t been able to afford or think about anything other than my health. That’s until I was told about the Gleason Team by my ALS Chapter in Maryland.
I contacted Team Gleason to find out what I needed to do to enter for an experience. I was told, completed an application and I was accepted the second time I submitted my application.
I never found the time or money to go to the Super Bowl, but I have always wanted to go.
Then in 2018 I started having balance issues. I was seen my neurologist at Georgetown University Hospital and after ruling out many medical conditions, I was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2022.
Meeting Steve Gleason at Super Bowl LIX was the best part of my experience – he inspires me to live my best life and enjoy every moment.
As I rubbed his hand, I felt a sense of connection. It brought tears to my eyes to have the opportunity to meet him.
His organization has made a difference in my life. Each and everyone involved in my experience thought of every single detail and made me feel special.
I experienced no accessibility challenges during my experience.
For one day, ALS challenges were handed to someone else and I was free, free to enjoy myself the way I was supposed to, without having to worry about things that were beyond my control.
The Gleason Team went above and beyond to make it a memorable experience that I will cherish for my lifetime.
Team Gleason would like to personally thank Andrew Jo for helping to make this adventure possible!
