With every project, Shriver says she seeks to demystify the disease, to take it out of the shadows, and to shake off the shame and isolation.įrom raising awareness, Shriver turned to raising money.
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The series of four documentaries and 15 supplemental films look at the science and research and how children are affected by the disease and includes stories from patients and their caregivers. That same year, Shriver produced an HBO special called The Alzheimer's Project. Calling herself "a child of Alzheimer's," she reminded committee members of her father's intellect before his diagnosis, saying his mind was "a beautifully tuned instrument that left people in awe and inspired." She urged Congress to invest more money in finding drugs to treat or prevent Alzheimer's disease. PHOTOGRAPH BY KWAKU ALSTONįour years later, Shriver took her cause public when she testified in front of the US Senate Special Committee on Aging. In the book, she tries to answer those questions. Shriver says the book came out of conversations she had with her four children, who asked many questions as their grandfather declined. Shriver donated copies of the book to the Alzheimer's Association, whose mission has been supported through sales of the book. It also offered ways for children to interact with an older person with dementia. Her conversation opener was What's Happening to Grandpa?, a children's book she wrote in 2004 that explained Alzheimer's disease to kids. The more she learned, the more she realized she wanted to start a national conversation, one she hoped would translate into more support for people with Alzheimer's disease and their families, more funds for research, and more attention from public officials. COURTESY MARIA SHRIVER HACHETTE Public Discourse Maria Shriver with her dad, Sargent (above), in 2007, three years after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease What's Happening to Grandpa?, the book she wrote in 2004 to help explain the disease to children. She also knew that Alzheimer's disease affects entire families, from spouses and partners to children and grandchildren. She was personally familiar with the shame and embarrassment associated with the disease, and her experience was corroborated by others. She wanted to know where the research was headed, how doctors treated the disease, and how families coped. "I didn't know that much about Alzheimer's," she admits, "and no one could answer my questions, like 'Why is this happening?' and 'What can be done to address the changes Alzheimer's brings?'" To find the answers, she sought out doctors, researchers, and other families dealing with the disease. Within a year of her father's diagnosis, she was bringing those skills to bear on Alzheimer's disease. In the later stages of the disease, she had to introduce herself to him when she came to visit-a recollection, she says, that still makes her cry.Īs a news journalist, Shriver was used to asking questions, getting answers, and sharing that information with others. Over the next decade, Shriver watched her once articulate, witty, whip-smart father-founding director of the Peace Corps, part of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, director of various War on Poverty programs, head of the Special Olympics, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom-descend into dementia. In 2003, Maria Shriver's father, Sargent, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Ten years later, she's still talking, and people are beginning to pay attention. Maria Shriver Takes on Alzheimer’s Disease After her father's diagnosis, Maria Shriver started talking about Alzheimer's disease.