ALPHARETTA, Ga. and
NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Halyard Health
(NYSE: HYH) and Team Gleason today announced they are teaming up to
raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known
as ALS, a terminal neuromuscular disease. Team Gleason, a nonprofit
organization that provides leading-edge technology, equipment and
services to individuals with neuromuscular diseases or injuries,
was founded by former professional football player Steve Gleason and his wife Michel.
Through the alliance, Team Gleason will share Steve's story of
his use of the MIC-KEY* Gastrostomy Feeding Tube manufactured by
Halyard Health. The MIC-KEY G-Tube's low-profile design allows it
to sit at skin level, making it an easier-to-conceal, more
comfortable option than conventional feeding tubes.
According to the ALS Association, more than 5,600 people in the
U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year and about 30,000 people have
the disease at any given time. As a person's condition worsens,
they can have difficulty eating because of trouble swallowing,
aspiration and choking.
Many patients turn to enteral feeding tubes to help them get the
nutrients they need to maintain their weight and energy so they can
continue living productive lives as the disease progresses. Feeding
tubes can also be used to administer medication, help increase
fluid intake and to reduce the risk of chest infections caused by
aspiration.
With enteral feeding, liquid nourishment and medication is
delivered by a tube surgically inserted into the stomach. The tube
attaches to an extension, which connects to the feeding bottle, bag
or pump. Early initial placement of feeding tubes is recommended to
reduce complications associated with surgical placement in ALS
patients.
Steve was diagnosed with ALS in 2011. In 2013, after struggling
to maintain a healthy weight, his doctor recommended an enteral
feeding tube to help him get the nourishment he needed. The first
feeding tube Steve used was cumbersome, with a long tube that could
not be easily concealed. After consulting with others in the ALS
community, Steve learned about the MIC-KEY G Feeding Tube.
"The MIC-KEY helps me to get healthy nutrition more easily, and
its size and durability allow me to interact freely with Rivers,
our four-year-old son," said Steve. "When a person has ALS, there
is a significant amount of maintenance, and so every day requires a
search for solutions. Through our alliance with Halyard Health,
Team Gleason is working to make it easier for ALS patients to find
better solutions for their nutritional needs."
To learn more about Steve's use of the MIC-KEY Feeding Tube and
Team Gleason, visit
http://www.halyardhealth.com/about-us/news/2016/august/halyard-health-and-team-gleason-team-up-for-als-awareness.aspx.
"Thousands of children and adults rely on MIC-KEY each day for
their nourishment because it helps them to maintain an active
lifestyle," said Quincy
Weatherspoon, North American director of marketing, Core
Devices, Halyard Health. "We are proud to team up with Team Gleason
to share the benefits of early placement of low-profile feeding
tubes with the ALS community."
Steve Gleason has been
compensated by Halyard Health.
About Halyard Health
Halyard Health, Inc. (NYSE: HYH) is a medical technology company
focused on preventing infection, eliminating pain and speeding
recovery for healthcare providers and their patients. Headquartered
in Alpharetta, Georgia, Halyard is
committed to addressing some of today's most important healthcare
needs, such as preventing healthcare-associated infections and
reducing the use of narcotics while helping patients move from
surgery to recovery. Halyard's business segments - Surgical &
Infection Prevention and Medical Devices - develop, manufacture and
market clinically superior solutions that improve medical outcomes
and business performance in more than 100 countries. For more
information, visit www.halyardhealth.com.
About Team Gleason
Steve
Gleason will always be remembered for his blocked punt on
the night the New Orleans Superdome reopened for the first time
after Hurricane Katrina. Steve played for The New Orleans Saints
from 2000-2008. In 2011, Steve was diagnosed with Amyotrophic
Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), considered a terminal neuro-muscular
disease. Steve is determined to inspire others by continuing to
pursue life adventures despite his diagnosis, and has challenged
the worlds of technology and science to foster and identify their
most promising developments. Steve and his friends and family
started Team Gleason to raise funding to empower those with ALS to
live a rewarding life through innovative equipment and technology,
to generate public awareness for ALS by providing and documenting
extraordinary adventures, and to create a global conversation
around ALS to ultimately find a treatment or cure. To donate:
www.teamgleason.org/donate.
*Registered Trademark or Trademark of Halyard Health, Inc., or
its affiliates.
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SOURCE Halyard Health, Inc.