"The first doctor said she thought I had 12-15 years, then I saw another doctor that said five or six. The third doctor said you have two or three years,” ex-Eagle Kevin Turner told the Montgomery Advisor after he was diagnosed with amyotrophia lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Generally, those suffering from ALS die from the disease within three to five years. Kevin Turner's diagnosis came in June 2010.
“They don't know. I'm pretending they don't know," the 41-year-old father of three said to his hometown paper.
Turner spent five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. In 1999, his final season in the NFL, he was diagnosed with narrowing of the spinal column.
After two surgeries to remove parts of his spinal column, the doctor gave Turner his fatal diagnosis, reports the Advisor.
Lou Gehrig’s is an incurable, terminal disease that prevents the brain from sending signals to the muscles, causing them to weaken and deteriorate. Although patients’ mind and senses are not affected, the disease eventually affects swallowing and breathing, resulting in death.
Recent studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control have linked concussions to brain disease.
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Turner is the 14th former NFL player to be diagnosed with ALS since 1960, according to the Boston Globe.
“Playing NFL football was a dream come true. I just never thought in 20 years I would be fighting for my life,” Turner told the Globe.
