“We Thought He Was Just Getting Older and He Was Slurring His Speech”: Almost 7 Years After Muhammad Ali’s Death, Daughter Reveals How Confused the Family Was After Learning About His Debilitating Illness

Rasheda Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali, recently revealed her initial reaction to the news of her father being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. According to Rasheda Ali, she was too young when she discovered that her father had a “neurocognitive disease” and likewise did not know how to react to it. While Ali was slurring his speech, his daughters felt he was simply aging.

As per Rasheda Ali, Muhammad Ali was 42 when he showed signs of his debilitating illness. However, the family was confused and some of them even did not know whether or not it required medical attention. Almost seven years after Muhammad Ali’s demise, Rasheda Ali spoke to Youcef Hollywood and expressed what she felt as she learned about her father being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Rasheda Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali was too young to understand Parkinson’s disease when her father first showed symptoms

In the mentioned interview, among other topics, Rasheda Ali spoke about family, happiness, father figure, and Muhammad Ali’s struggle with Parkinson’s. “When I found out about my dad’s diagnosis, I didn’t know how to digest that information. You’re a kid, when you hear progressive neurocognitive disease, you’re like, ‘What is that?’” she said. According to Rasheda Ali, her father at that time did not seem like a different person to her either.

However, she felt Ali had become slower. “He was slower. You’re 10, 12, or 13 years old. You’re like, ‘Oh, Dad’s getting older.’ But he was quite young, he was 42. We thought he was just getting older and he was slurring his speech.” In the same vein, she admitted that it became difficult for them to understand their father’s behavior. “It was hard to understand him. But we thought that was the aging process,” she added saying.

 Read More: Years Before Muhammad Ali’s Death, Daughter Laila Ali Remained Brutally Honest When Asked Whether She’d Suffer Same Fate as Her Ailing Father: “I Was Definitely Aware of Things That Can Happen”

It is worth mentioning that according to a recent study, Muhammad Ali received almost 200,000 blows from boxing which may have resulted in Parkinson’s disease. Anyway, what do you make of the statements by Rasheda Ali? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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