NEW LENOX, Ill. — Good news arrived for former Chicago Bears great Steve ‘Mongo’ McMichael today, as he’s expected to be released from the hospital tomorrow, according to a family spokesperson.
McMichael was rushed to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lennox Thursday of last week, where he was initially expected of having a pneumonia, and admitted to the hospital’s ICU.
Over the next two days, McMichael was diagnosed with a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), followed by a Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection, or MRSA, a type of staph infection that is known to be particularly resistant to certain types of antibiotics.
The family spokesperson told WGN News that McMichael has responded well to treatment at Silver Cross, and the family is thankful for everyone who offered their thoughts and prayers through his hospital stay in the southwest suburbs.
McMichael and Devin Hester, another former Bears great, were both announced as members of the class of 2024 to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame back on Feb. 8.
McMichael was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) back in Jan. 2021, and has been battling the disease with the help of his wife Misty at their Homer Glen home ever since.
According to the ALS Association, ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
”Amyotrophic” comes from the Greek language. “A” means no. “Myo” refers to muscle. “Trophic” means nourishment. So, amyotrophic means “no muscle nourishment,” and when a muscle has no nourishment, it “atrophies” or wastes away.
McMichael’s wife has often attributed him being able to fight the disease for so long because McMichael wants to see the day he is inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, and then attend his bust being unveiled in Canton, Ohio.