Not normally a sports fan, there are some nuggets of information even I can’t avoid. Like the incredible record of the University of Tennessee’s women’s basketball team. So, when I read today that their long-time coach, Pat Summitt, has early onset Alzheimer’s (she’s only 59), the news was like a slap in the face. That’s the “bad” – a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is never good, right?
But the courage Ms. Summitt displayed in opening up to the public, while saying that she’ll continue to coach as long as it makes sense, certainly strikes me as the “good.” One of my mantra’s is, after all public awareness! Visibility! Information! The very pleadings that were expressed during the recent NAPA listening session held in San Francisco on August 10th!
And, here’s another one: I must have missed it, but Glen Campbell announced in June that he has Alzheimer’s. He’s still engaged in his music and has a new album coming out on August 30th. Again, the “good” and the “bad.”
I thank these two celebrities for not hiding behind a veil. They and their loved ones are not afraid of speaking out. It’s about time! All of this helps us beat down the stigma we know is associated with Alzheimer’s.
What’s also buried in these stories is that these two individuals know that their lives are defined by what they can do, not by what they can’t (and they are supported in their belief by those who live and work with them). And, they can do a lot! This is another powerful message worth repeating. Continue reading “Celebrities with Alzheimer’s in the news: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” »
