The Real 'Still Alice' (Except This One Wears Trousers)

In 2009, at the age of 59, Greg O'Brien was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. It wasn't surprising since his family was laced with the disease: his grandfather, his uncle and his mother had all succumbed to this merciless killer. Now it's Greg O'Brien's turn. But he isn't going to go down without a fight. An investigative reporter by profession, he began taking copious notes about his arduous trek into his mind, riddled with Alzheimer's. Thus began O'Brien's chronicle which resulted in his heartbreaking, defiant, profound book, On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer's. "Words are the core of my life,"

Host a “Still Alice” Movie Night!

“Still Alice” is winning awards and critical acclaim for Julianne Moore’s moving portrayal of a woman with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The film’s popularity has great potential to raise awareness and understanding about Alzheimer’s—helping bring it out of the shadows, so more people understand its impact. You can help by organizing a movie night. It’s a powerful subject, so the idea of going with a group may encourage more people to see it. Here’s how to get started: Invite a group of family members and friends to go see the movie. Think about a mix of people who do and don’t

If It Could Happen To Robin Williams…

This post originally appeared in the Alzheimer's Reading Room. - Trish It was 1978. I had just settled down to catch an episode of “Happy Days,” a funny, sweet TV show – a good escape. In the episode, The Fonz (Henry Winkler) heard a knock at the Cunningham’s front door. Outside stood Mork from Ork – Robin Williams in his first role. Mork was an endless barrage of jokes, pratfalls, catch-‘em-if-you-can rejoinders. You could get whiplash trying to keep up. He left me breathless just trying. My husband, who was working late that night, called just after the program ended

Happy Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving, George and I will enjoy a meal with family and share what we're thankful for this year. But I want to get one in before we dig into the turkey and mashed potatoes. So thank you ... thank you for helping us grow UsAgainstAlzheimer's into a powerful machine to fight this senseless, cruel disease . We started from scratch, with little more than vision and a heart still reeling from the loss of my mom. Now, we've built six distinct networks and two national and international coalitions. We reach tens of millions globally, and we actually have a

Natural Causes?

Ben Bradlee, the legendary editor of The Washington Post who was best known for exposing "Watergate," died last week. According to the Washington Post and the New York Times, Bradlee died of "natural causes." Yet it was widely known and reported CNN, Sept. 29, and numerous other outlets] that he suffered from Alzheimer's for many years. Alzheimer's is a disease, a cruel and debilitating disease, and it is no more a 'natural cause' of death than cancer or heart disease. With characteristic courage, Ben Bradlee and his wife Sally Quinn, brought Alzheimer's out of the shadows. I believe newspapers need