There’s no hiding the fact that Ali’s quite fragile and frail and has a hard time moving around, but that can be expected for suffers of Parkinson’s Syndrome, which is what Ali has been for almost 30 years now. He may no longer float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, but he still possesses a quick mind and sharp wit.
The 69-year-old, who once owned the most recognizable face in the world, was in fact taken to hospital five days after Frazier’s funeral service as he lost consciousness at home in Paradise Valley, Arizona. An ambulance was called via 911 and to take Ali to hospital about 7 pm on Nov. 19, but when it arrived he had already left.
Ali’s spokesman Craig Bankey said he was taken to hospital to receive treatment for dehydration and that most of the initial news reports were basically blown out of proportion. However, he didn’t say how long the former champ was in hospital for.
Because the public rarely sees Ali anymore, it has to rely on statements from his inner circle to find out what his state of health is. Some reports last year indicated that he traveled to Israel to receive adult stem treatments in an attempt to help fight off the effects of Parkinson’s. One thing’s for sure, Ali is receiving the best care money can buy.
He is looked after by Dr. Mahlon DeLong, who is a neurology professor at Atlanta’s Emory University and is recognized as one of the world’s top neuroscientists. He’s also won several awards for his efforts concerning Parkinson’s disease along with and other types of movement disorders.
The last time Ali’s health made the headlines was six years ago. Laila Ali, his daughter, said he was deteriorating back in November 2005 just before he met George W. Bush to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Just a week later Ali’s wife Lonnie denied those reports though and said he was doing fine. Gene Kilroy, a long time friend and associate of Ali, said he thought Ali’s condition at Frazier’s funeral was consistent with his state of the past few years and wasn’t any worse or better.
The next time Ali may be seen in public will likely be early in 2012 when he celebrates his 70th birthday. An all-star gala has been scheduled at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand for Feb. 18 to celebrate his Jan. 17th birthday and to raise money for medical research. Kilroy added that Ali’s just as popular as ever and he’s received messages from across the globe from people hoping to be a part of the celebration.
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