>>> JEFF, WAS TAKING CARE OF HIS FATHER, WHO HAS ALZHEIMERS.
HE STARTED NOTICING SYMPTOMS IN HIMSELF PD NOTICING SYMPTOMS IN
HIMSELF P HIMSELF.
HIMSELF.
JUST 51 YEARS OLD, HE THOUGHT HE
WAS JUST TIRED.
HE WAS WRONG.
AND THE DIAGNOSIS HE WAS ABOUT
TO RECEIVE WILL BRING YOU HIS
FAMILYS GRIT AND GRACE.
JEFF WAS JUST 51 WHEN HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ALZHEIMERS, A
DISEASE TYPICALLY KNOWN FOR
AFFECTING THOSE OVER THE AGE OF
65.
>> I JUST REMEMBER CRYING.
>> Reporter: AND TODAY,
APPROXIMATELY 200,000 OF THE 5
MILLION AMERICANS LIVING WITH ALZHEIMERS HAVE YOUNGER ONSET.
>> YOURE DIAGNOSED WITH A
DISEASE THAT AFFECTS YOUR
MEMORY, YOUR XEXEXECUTIVE FUNCTI
AND YOUR MULTITASKING ABILITY.
>> Reporter: AND HE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE.er: AND HE IS NOT THE
ONLY ONE.
>> YOU WANT TO FIND MORE FOR ME? THE LITTLE ONES.IND MORE FOR ME?
THE LITTLE ONES. YEAH.
YEAH.
>> Reporter: JEFFS FATHER, JIM, WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ALZHEIMERSM,
WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ALZHEIMERS IN HIS EARLY 80s.
BOTH NOW LIVE UNDER ONE ROOF.
>> MY FATHER HAS ALZHEIMERS.
I HAVE ALZHEIMERS.
YOURE LOOKING AT THE WAY THE
DISEASE IS PROGRESSING IN
SOMEONE THAT YOU LOVE DEARLY.
BUT ALSO, AT THE SAME TIME,
KNOWING THAT THIS IS ME, IN A
FEW YEARS. YOU KNOW?.
YOU KNOW? >> Reporter: A SOFTWARE
DEVELOPER BY TRADE, DOCTORS
ADVISED JEFF TO RETIRE.
LEAVING WIFE, KIM, TO THINK OF
SOLUTIONS AFTER BECOMING THE
SOLE BREADWINNER.
SOLE BREADWINNER. >> I STARTED THINKING,
FINANCIALLY, I GOT A SECOND JOB,
WORKING FOR A REAL ESTATE AGENT
AT HOME.
AT HOME.
IM A FIGHTER. I AM DEAFFINITELY A FIGHTER.
I HAVE TO HOLD THIS FAMILY
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER.
WE ARE DOING WHAT THE DOCTOR SAID.E DOING WHAT THE DOCTOR
SAID.
DONT WAIT.
ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO, GET OUT THERE AND DO IT.T TO DO, GET OUT
THERE AND DO IT. THATS WHAT WERE DOING.
RIGHT?
RIGHT?
WHAT DID WE ALWAYS SAY? >> WERE PREPARING FOR THE WORST
AND PRAYING FOR THE BEST.
>> MARIA SHRIVER IS BACK WITH US
NOW, ALONG WITH JEFF AND KIM.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
JEFF, WHAT AN AMAZING STORY,
TAKING CARE OF YOUR DAD.
AND NOTICING SYMPTOMS IN
YOURSELF.
YOURSELF. I KNOW THE PAST FEW MONTHS HAVE
BEEN PARTICULARLY TOUGH.
TELL US HOW YOURE DOING.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, YOURE
STRUGGLING BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT
YOURE LIVING WITH A DISEASE
THAT WILL EVENTUALLY TAKE YOUR
LIFE.
LIFE.
BUT YOU TRY TO LIVE YOUR LIFE DAY-BY-DAY. TO LIVE YOUR LIFE
DAY-BY-DAY.
AND YOU TRY TO FIND THE JOY IN
LIFE, DAY-BY-DAY.
YOU ABSORB AS MUCH OF THE GRACE
AND HOPE THAT YOU CAN FROM YOUR FAMILY.E THAT YOU CAN FROM YOUR
FAMILY.
AND IM SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE A LOVING WIFE.RTUNATE TO HAVE A
LOVING WIFE. SHES MY WONDER WOMAN.
YEAH.
YEAH.
SHE REALLY IS.
[ APPLAUSE ]
SHE IS AN AMAZING CARE GIVER. EXCEPTIONAL.AZING CARE GIVER.
EXCEPTIONAL.
AND TAKES EXCEPTIONAL CARE OF MYSELF AND MY MOM, WHO ACTUALLY
LIVES WITH US.
AND MY FATHER.
>> I KNOW THAT THEY SAY
TWO-THIRDS OF THE CARE GIVERS,
MARIA, ARE WOMEN, TAKING CARE OF
PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMERS.
PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMERS.
KIM, YOU DONT HAVE IT EASY.
WORKING TWO JOBS.
AND WORKING TO GET YOUR REAL
ESTATE LICENSE.
ESTATE LICENSE. >> CORRECT.
>> CORRECT. >> PAYING THE BILLS.
TAKING CARE OF YOUR HUSBAND AND
YOUR FATHER-IN-LAW, AND YOUR
MOTHER-IN-LAW IS LIVING WITH
YOU, AS WELL.
MONEY IS TIGHT IN?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> AND YOU WANT THIS AUDIENCE 20
KNOW
KNOW
TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A POSITIVE
ATTITUDE AND A POSITIVE MESSAGE.
AND A LOT OF US ARE THINKING, HOW CAN THAT BE?ARE THINKING,
HOW CAN THAT BE? >> WHEN I FOUND OUT MY HUSBAND
HAD THE DISEASE, THE FIRST SIX
MONTHS WAS REALLY, REALLY HARD.
AND I SAID, I HAVE TO KEEP
EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
I REACHED OUT TO THE ALZHEIMERS ASSOCIATION.T TO THE ALZHEIMERS
ASSOCIATION.
I WAS INVOLVED, I AM INVOLVED,
IN A SUPPORT GROUP. I HAVE CREATED FRIENDSHIPS WITH
OTHER WOMEN WHO ARE TAKING CARE
OF THEIR HUSBANDS WITH YOUNGER
ONSET.
ONSET.
AND I DO A LOT OF READING. I PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE
OTHER.
OTHER.
BUT THERE ARE DAYS I JUST LOSE IT. THERE ARE DAYS I JUST LOSE
IT.
I JUST CRY. AND I JUST TALK TO MY FAMILY
MEMBERS.
MEMBERS.
MY MOM, MY MOTHER-IN-LAW, AND MY SISTER. MY MOTHER-IN-LAW, AND MY
SISTER. AND I JUST GET UP.
AND YOU DO IT AGAIN.
THERES NO CHOICE.
>> YOU TALKED ABOUT LOOKING AT
YOUR DAD AND IN A WAY, THAT WAS
A PREVIEW OF WHAT YOU MIGHT GO
THROUGH.
THROUGH.
AND YOU HAVE DAUGHTERS, TOO. DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT FOR THEM
AND LOOKING AT YOU?
WE DONT KNOW WHETHER OR NOT
THEY HAVE THE GENE.
BUT MARIA TELLS US, WHETHER THEY
DO OR DONT, IS NOT
DETERMINATIVE.
DETERMINATIVE.
>> FOR MY CHILDREN, WERE A
BLENDED FAMILY. MY BIOLOGICAL DAUGHTER, IT
CROSSES MY MIND.
IT DOES CROSS MY MIND.
BUT YOU CANT DWELL ON THAT.
AND YOU DONT -- I DONT WANT MY
KIDS TO LIVE THE LIFE OF
WORRYING ABOUT THEIR FATHER, YOU
KNOW, LIVING WITH THE DISEASE.
YOU CAN TELL THEM NOT TO WORRY
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT.
BUT THEYRE GOING TO. YOU KNOW?E GOING TO.
YOU KNOW?
>> THATS RIGHT.
>> BECAUSE THEY LOVE YOU. BUT I WANT THEM TO LIVE NORMAL
LIVES.
LIVES.
AND LIVE, YOU KNOW, 20 -- 19, 21
AND 23-YEAR-OLD LIVES.
>> AND SEEING YOUR RELATIONSHIP
AND THE SUPPORT YOU GIVE EACH OTHER IS HUGE.T YOU GIVE EACH
OTHER IS HUGE. MARIA, THAT CONCEPT OF SUPPORT
GROUPS AND REACHING OUT AND
KNOWING AS THE CARE GIVER,
YOURE NOT ALONE.
>> WELL, I THINK THIS IS A HUGE
ISSUE.
ISSUE.
MILLION AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
ARE DOING WHAT WE CALL UNPAID CARE GIVING, AS OPPOSED TO THOSE
WHO DO IT AS A CAREER.
THEY FEEL MORE STRESSED.
THEY GET SICKER THAN THE ACTUAL
PERSON THEYRE CARING FOR
BECAUSE ITS A 24/7 JOB.
PART OF THE MESSAGING IS TO TAKE
CARE OF YOURSELF.
TO PUT YOURSELF AT THE CENTER,
FIND SUPPORT GROUPS YOU NEED.
PRIORITIZE YOUR HEALTH SO YOU
CAN DO THE JOB THAT YOURE
DOING.
DOING.
I SAY TO MY KIDS, IF YOU WANT TO
KNOW WHAT LOVE IS, WE HEAR SO MUCH ABOUT LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.O
MUCH ABOUT LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. THIS IS LOVE IN ACTION.
GO ANYWHERE AND WATCH A FAMILY
DEALING WITH ALZHEIMERS AND
YOULL SEE WHAT THIS IS.
WHAT LOVE REALLY LOOKS LIKE ON
THE GROUND, ON THE FRONT LINES.
AND I WAS TALKING TO THEM
EARLIER BACKSTAGE, MEGYN.
THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THEIR
KIDS.
KIDS.
AND ALL THEIR KIDS WERE WORKING IN NONPROFITS AND SERVANTORKING
IN NONPROFITS AND SERVANT LEADERS.
LEADERS.
AND ABOUT HER HUSBAND, HES
ALWAYS BEEN A SERVANT LEADER.
THIS IS A MAN WHO WANTED TO GIVE BACK TO THIS COUNTRY.TED TO GIVE
BACK TO THIS COUNTRY. AND TO PEOPLE.
>> JUST TO COME OUT AND TELL