Due to video length restrictions on YouTube, this is a portion of the full video which can be viewed in it's entirety at www.lakevideoproductions.com

In November of 1994, President Ronald Reagan informed the American people through a handwritten letter that he had been diagnosed with the neurological disease known as Alzheimers; this letter was entitled, The Long Goodbye.
 
Some studies indicate that an estimated 26.6 million people worldwide were afflicted by Alzheimers disease in 2006 and that this number could triple by 2050.  Alzheimers is the most common form of dementia.  This incurable, degenerative, and terminal disease was first described by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and was named after him.  Generally, it is diagnosed in people over 65 years of age, although the less prevalent early-onset Alzheimer's can occur much earlier.

Although the course of Alzheimer's disease is unique for every individual, there are many common symptoms.   The earliest observable symptoms are often mistakenly thought to be 'age-related' concerns, or manifestations of stress.  In the early stages, the most commonly recognized symptom is memory loss, such as difficulty in remembering recently learned facts.

As the disease advances, symptoms include confusion, irritability and aggression, mood swings, language breakdown, long-term memory loss, and the general withdrawal of the sufferer as their senses decline.  The cause and progression of Alzheimer's disease are not well understood. Research indicates that the disease is associated with plaques and tangles in the brain.

The role of the main caregiver is often taken by the spouse or a close relative.  Alzheimer's disease is known for placing a great burden on caregivers; the pressures can be wide-ranging, involving social, psychological, physical, and economic elements of the caregiver's life.

Brian Russell was just 49 years old when he was diagnosed with Alzheimers and passed away at the age of 53

Brians wife Triena gave me all the home movies she had and asked me to put together a tribute to her husband.  I can only hope the end result can, in some small way, help shine a light on the life Brian lived.  At the same time, I feel its important to bring some awareness of the disease that took Brian from this world far too early.  Alzheimers is a disease that is still a mystery in many ways but researchers are hard at work to learn all they can so that someday, a cure may be found

To learn more about Alzheimers disease or to donate visit the Alzheimer Society of Canadas website at www.alzheimer.ca

"I have recently been told that I am one of the millions of Americans who will be afflicted with Alzheimer's disease... At the moment I feel just fine. I intend to live the remainder of the years God gives me on this earth doing the things I have always done... I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead. Thank you, my friends. May God always bless you." President Ronald Reagan

свернуть