Boxing legend Muhammad Ali made a rare public appearance Thursday at the opening of a newly expanded treatment center for Parkinson's disease.
Ali, 67, and his wife, Lonnie, regularly donate to the Barrow Neurological Foundation and are largely responsible for the more than $2 million that the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center gets every year from Celebrity Fight Night, a glitzy Phoenix gala that raises funds and awareness for the illness, said Mary Jane Crist, the foundation's CEO. The Parkinson's center at the Barrow Neurological Institute first opened in 1997 with the ability to treat about 60 patients a year. Officials say the expansion has doubled its size and that it now has six doctors and expects to treat 1,600 new patients a year -- an evolution largely due to Ali's involvement.
The former heavyweight champ, who was diagnosed with the brain disorder in 1984, receives some of his treatment at the center. He retired in 1981 from a career during which he won the world heavyweight championship three different times.
Center officials say the facility is now the most comprehensive in the nation for the treatment of Parkinson's. It now has medical, rehabilitation, research, and social and educational services in one location.
Center officials say the idea is for a Parkinson's patient to get all the services and treatment they need in one spot, instead of having to go to different locations.
Lonnie Ali said that's very important for people who have a tough time getting around, adding that it makes living day-to-day easier. The disorder causes tremors, slowed movement, and muffled speech.
Abraham Lieberman, the center's director, said doctors and other staff spend hours with new patients, explaining the disease and offering comfort.
"When they leave the office, they're not scared out of their minds that they're going to be in a wheelchair or they're going to die or something terrible is going to happen to them," he said. "If you tell people the truth and you explain it carefully and people know what they're confronting, most people can deal with this."
He said he couldn't say enough about what Ali means to the center, especially for patients.
"I tell patients, 'Look, Muhammad Ali was the greatest athlete in the 20th century. He's got Parkinson's and he's not desperate, he's not dejected, he's not depressed,"' Lieberman said. "The center is named for him because he's such a recognizable figure and he's given so much inspiration to people."
Ali toured the center with his wife and his sister-in-law, who held his hands. The three stopped frequently to look at some of the most memorable images of Ali in large frames along a hallway, including one of him with a ferocious look on his face towering over downed opponent Charles "Sonny" Liston.
The photos are a reflection of his life, Lonnie Ali said.
"I'm so excited for patients to come through this door," she said. "The environs are very comforting and calming and welcoming ... Just because you're in a hospital and you're here for treatment doesn't mean it has to look like a hospital."
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