Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. It attacks the brain’s nerve cells, robs memory and impairs thinking and language skills. It’s currently the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

“Every 70 seconds, somebody is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease,” says Michael Reagan, popular radio talk show host and son of former President Ronald Reagan, probably the most famous victim of Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s as a family affair

Reagan says almost from the time his father first learned he was ill, he has been part of a national campaign to raise public awareness about this devastating and heartbreaking illness.

“Joining the efforts is like I’ve been in this for a long time, as my father wrote a letter back in 1994 telling the world he had Alzheimer’s disease, watching what my father went through as he deteriorated year after year after, and finally being bedridden, and then passing away 5 years ago [in 2004],” he says. He adds, “That’s why I’m involved.”

Via President Reagan’s Son Advocates for Alzheimer’s Awareness