Celebs talking about dementia/LBD

Rescue mom

There’s a new (a couple weeks) video up by Robin Williams widow, Susan, a speech about Lewy Body dementia, which he had before his suicide. It’s breath-taking.

 I can’t link, but if you search on YouTube for “Robin Williams widow Lewy Body” it’ll be in the first few listed.

 It’s identified as her BioHive seminar talk (other old interviews are also  listed). She also is on national boards, and incredibly articulate and well-spoken. The video is long, 30 minutes, but covers a lot, not just him. The Dx  problems he —even as a huge star—faced are just unbelievable….

Also there’s video with Ted Turner’s daughter, updating on his LBD status. I didn’t even know he had it, butmit was announced 3-4 years ago. Apparently he is doing better, longer, than many—she and Robin Williams’ widow talked about “cognitive reserve”.

A little different, but similar, the musical Judd daughters are talking more, publicly, about their mother Naomi’s death by suicide a few months ago, after years of depression.

All these family members say public awareness is so important; they’re all speaking and taking action on issues that are obviously painful and hard, but they have a special platform, and audiences, and they’re using it.

Jeff86

Susan Williams is a tremendous advocate for LBD.  I attended an LBD fundraiser, pre-Covid, and she was searingly honest and forthcoming about how the disease manifested in Robin and affected them both.  Critical PR the world needs to hear.

Jo C.

I remember when it was announced that Ted Turner had LBD; what he said was, "I am just glad it's not Alzheimer's."  Sad.

J.