Posted on 06/23/2023 12:06:11 PM PDT by Red Badger
Jack Hanna, the zookeeper who became famous as the director of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, is currently battling Alzheimer's disease, and it's getting progressively worse.
The 76-year-old was first diagnosed in fall 2019 with early Alzheimer's, and now it's gotten to the point where he doesn't even know his own family.
"The Jack people knew isn't here anymore, but pieces of my husband are," Suzi, who has been married to Hanna since 1968, said in a new interview. "And I'm going to hang onto them for as long as I can."
“He just stopped remembering who I was in all ways. Whether it was in person or by phone, he had no idea I was his daughter. I think it’s because he didn’t see me as much because I got married so young and I moved away," Suzi, who shares daughters Kathaleen, Suzanne, and Julie with Hanna, said.
Now, the TV personality apparently only knows his wife, his dog Brassy and sometimes his eldest daughter Kathaleen.
“My husband is still in there somewhere,” Suzi said. “There are still those sweet, tender moments — you know, pieces of him that made me and the rest of the world fall in love with him. It’s hard. Real hard some days. But he took care of me all those years, and so it’s my turn to take care of him.”
The Hannas want to tell this story as it is important to spread the word about this disease.
“If this helps even one other family, it’s more than worth sharing dad’s story,” Kathaleen said. “He spent a lifetime helping everyone he could. He will never know it or understand it, but he is still doing it now.”
Hanna, who retired in 2020, would have still been at the zoo and aquarium if the disease didn't take over.
“He would have worked until the day he died. He only retired due to the Alzheimer’s,” Kathaleen said. “He was embarrassed by it. He lived in fear the public would find out.”
For now, the Late Night with David Letterman star is taking walks with Suzi as she tries to maintain their normal activities.
“I want to hold on to these walks as long as I can,” Suzi said. “I remember the day this all officially started. The day the doctor told us what it was. I’ve just tried to hang on to the little pieces of Jack since then.”
Looks excellent.
I have an MD who didn’t go to med school in the USA, which are all funded by Big Pharma. I take only one prescription drug, lisinipril,for occasional heart irregularities, and ten nutritional supplements daily which my MD actually prescribes, making them deductible med expenses.
I don’t call that undoctored, I call it doctored by the best doc in the world.
Most western health problems are caused by our diet.
We are not cows.
Stop eating plants that cows eat, like wheat, corn and all other grains including rice.
Eat the burger, throw away the bun...............
I know two vegans and one vegetarian. Craziest women I ever met. As in total nutcases. Two of them actually hate children, even complain about the sound of their happy voices.
Veganism is a mental disease.
I’ll be praying for them.
I’ll be keeping them in my prayers, don’t you worry.
In Hollywood, I’m applying Occam’s Razor-
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/kuru
How many of the worst individuals in the 20th century, from dictators, mass murderers, child abusers, rapists, Democrats, etc. were omnivores? I'd guess most if not all.
“The 76-year-old was first diagnosed in fall 2019 with early Alzheimer’s”
That doesn’t make sense. Early-onset ALZ is diagnosed at age 64 or younger.
Always seemed a little off -- as if he was in early Alzheimer's even back then...
It’s a terrible moment when you realize they don’t know you. Especially when they ask who you are.
I met and shook hands with Jack 3 or 4 years ago. Dress up event but he still wore the hat! Friendly, kind, jovial. Couldn’t have been nicer.
Bkmrk.
...and the brand name of that bread..?
I was questioning the article. The editor should have read it before publication.
Why is it necessary to nitpick something so sad?
My prayers to his family and tears too. I loved this guy and his appearances on Letterman.
He will truly be missed.......
When I see him on the Johnny Carson show (Pluto tv) he was always stuttering trying to get the information out.
I wonder if it was a symptom or just nerves?
I worked for an insurance company & we hired a consultant who told our underwriters to start asking questions about vitamins, supplements etc. as the focus in the states is on prescribed drugs but in other countries they use supplements to treat heart, cancer etc. They ignored the advice.
I lost my mother to Alzheimer’s. It’s heart breaking.
Plato once observed “Death is not the worst that can happen to men’’.
He was right. Living death is the worst.
Alzheimer’s is a living death.
I buy this at Natural Grocer, don’t know whether anyone else carries it. NatGroc has stores all over America. Bread is B-Free Seed Bread. Pricey, but so are other breads now. I think it tastes better than other breads. I’m about to make a sardine salad sandwich to take to a meeting, but it’s yum with almond butter and jelly too.
Anything that is actually GOOD for you always costs more...thank you for your time and consideration!
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