Into the Twilight

(People, November 21, 1994) Whoah. President Ronald Regan: President of THE United States. Diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Who would have thought that such a prominent person could be afflicted with such a terrible illness?

But it does happen. Sometimes the "untouchables" are touched by the most severe sicknesses. When I came across this article, written the day after President Ronald Reagan announced his diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, I couldn't help but get the chills. The public had been given a few hints regarding Reagan's memory loss, but who could have imagined...

However, I did try to consider his diagnosis in the best light I knew how. The publicity and media attention surrounding the President's diagnosis might help calm some of the negative perceptions associated with Alzheimer's disease. Much of this stigma exacerbates the loneliness and isolation that afflicted people feel as they face the prospect of forgetting the ones they love. Reagan's diagnosis leads a wave of attention, funding, and media down the Alzheimer's path, and I'm interested in learning more about the stigmas, stereotypes, and negative emotions the media generates and the afflicted combats.