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American Morning

Interview With Michael Reagan

Aired August 26, 2002 - 07:47   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Charlton Heston's recent announcement that he may have Alzheimer's disease has brought new attention to what is becoming a major killer of Americans. Perhaps the most celebrated Alzheimer's victim is former President Ronald Reagan, and there are reports that his condition has gone downhill in recent months.
His son, Michael, spoke with Paula about his father and the disease also the death of his sister, Maureen, which was one year ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): And Michael Reagan joins us now.

Good to see you again, Michael. I think this is your first appearance on AMERICAN MORNING.

MICHAEL REAGAN, SON OF RONALD REAGAN: It is. It is. It's good to see you again...

ZAHN: Thank you.

REAGAN: ... still.

ZAHN: Still. It has been a year...

REAGAN: Yes.

ZAHN: ... since your sister lost her battle with melanoma. And I know that she courageously fought for funding and raising awareness in the battle against Alzheimer's that many people are fighting in this country today, including your own father.

Are there any advances that have been made since her death?

REAGAN: Well, there are always advances being made. Scientists are out there working, you know, 24 hours a day, working towards the goal of finally ridding this world of this terrible disease. Unfortunately, none of the advances can help my father, but possibly help people like Chuck Heston and others that are now just finding themselves in the midst of Alzheimer's.

So the scientists are still working, and we're still working to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. In fact, we talked back then, Paula, my sister, when we were talking privately in the hospital before she passed away. You know, it's interesting. Here she was dying from melanoma, who was looking at me, saying we've got to find a cure for my dad or our father, and asked me if I would become involved in it. And I have become involved since her passing.

ZAHN: And unfortunately, a lot of attention has been focused on Alzheimer's. You mentioned Chuck Heston. We call him Charlton. We're not as close to him as you are. And he made this very powerful announcement of the fact that he has a diagnosis of something that very much appears to be Alzheimer's -- let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLTON HESTON, ACTOR: I'm neither giving up nor giving in. I believe I'm still the fighter that Dr. King and JFK and Ronald Reagan knew, but it's a fight I must someday call a draw. I must reconcile courage and surrender in equal measure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Michael, courage and surrender is, of course, something your father knows about and any patient fighting Alzheimer's, as well as the family members trying to provide support for the patient. What is the amount of courage that's required, and then the surrender, too?

REAGAN: Oh, a lot of courage. You know, I was up with dad this weekend, and to just see this man, the Great Communicator, you know, bedridden, not able to communicate, and not being able to have those conversations, even say "I love you," but not you know, giving anything back. And you just watch somebody you love just slowly, slowly disappear and go away. It's a terrible thing to sit there and watch.

And let me just say this, too, that you know, I said this on my radio show, Paula, that you know, Nancy Reagan and Lydia Heston in the future, are in some ways the very lucky ones, because they have the financial ability to be able to take care of their loved ones, to bring in the doctors and bring in the nurses and take care of them 24 hours a day. Most people who have this terrible, terrible disease don't have the availability of that kind of money, and they have to do all of it, so much of it themselves.

And they are the real heroes out there also who are working 24 hours a day to take care of their loved one, worrying about them 24 hours a day, are they going to walk out of the house, are they going to -- you know, are they going to set something on fire?

Nancy has got people at the house, praise God, but there are so many people out there, Paula, who don't have that person in the house to be able to take care of them, unless they stop everything they are doing and they stay home as the caregiver to their loved one.

ZAHN: And you talk a little bit about the drain of family members as they care for patients, with your father being bedridden, you just described, for a couple of years now.

Without invading your family's privacy, what else can you tell us about your dad, and his ability to recognize anybody anymore?

REAGAN: He really doesn't. He doesn't recognize, you know, anybody. He -- you know, as I said, he's pretty well bedridden, and he can talk in gibberish. But -- I think what you try to do, as he tries to communicate in gibberish, you pretend you understand what he is saying. And I think through that, you find out he doesn't become annoyed that nobody understands him. I think maybe some people who have Alzheimer's, maybe all of them, when they speak in that gibberish talk, they understand exactly what they're saying. We don't.

So if you go along with it -- and I've found by going along with it, you don't get the frustration or see the frustration, you know, on his face, and you see more of a calmness on his face.

So you go up there, you hold his hand, you tell him you love him, and that's about all -- you know, we can all do -- Nancy, myself, Patty and of course, Ron.

ZAHN: A final thought for families out there, who don't have the resources of your family, who are really struggling as they help loved ones wage, in many cases...

REAGAN: Well, I'll tell you...

ZAHN: ... a very bitter battle.

REAGAN: I will tell you just -- you just have to love them. Don't get frustrated. It's so frustrating yourself, because you want to help somebody, and you see this disease taking them away, and you can't become frustrated. You've got to just sit there and just love them. And the friends that you have and the family members you have, they have to come alongside, too. They have to be all part of it.

You know, every day, I'm sure Nancy needs hugs. Those are the caregivers. And so, you've got to hug them a lot. You've got to love them a lot, because they're giving up so very, very much.

And know that there are a lot of people, whether it's the Alzheimer's Association or the John -- you know, Douglas French Foundation, there are so many organizations out there who are fighting to find a cure for this disease, to help these spouses, these friends, and hopefully will find a cure soon.

ZAHN: Well, we could all learn from the great grace and dignity your family has shown, as your father has suffered so much over the years.

Michael Reagan, good to see you again -- really appreciate your dropping by.

REAGAN: Paula, good to see you -- thanks a lot.

ZAHN: Take care.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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