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Home › Relationships

Marlo Thomas | 05/03/2009 11:00 pm

Marlo Thomas on Maria Shriver, Barack Obama and Stem Cell Research

By Marlo Thomas RSS
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In response to: Have you ever cared for an aging or Alzheimer's-stricken person? What advice would you give someone faced with this challenge?
Marlo Thomas
I am very thankful I did not have this terrible experience with either of my dear parents. But I have seen friends of mine go through it and it’s very sad. I recently read an interview with Maria Shriver, in which she describes how Alzheimer’s has stricken her father, the legendary founding director of the Peace Corps, Sargent Shriver. "He is 93," Maria says. "This was someone with a beautiful, sharp, in-tune mind. Now he doesn’t know my name, but I always introduce myself to him, and he flashes a smile." That made me cry. I think I’d be tongue-tied trying to offer advice to someone coping with this personal nightmare, but I do know that it all makes me so grateful that President Obama has chosen to undo George W. Bush’s senseless stranglehold on stem-cell science, which could very well be the key to curing this dreaded disease once and for all.
Read more about: Age, Alzheimer's Disease, Disease, Health, Healthcare, Lifestyle

6 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

James the Game

I’ve never been through the Alzheimer’s ordeal, either, but it’s got to be unfathomably painful. It was hell just watching my mother die of lung cancer over 7 months, the last 3 of which she barely recognized people; I can’t imagine the drain of several years.

One guy I know in Grand Rapids, Gordy Cook, I met on a basement-waterproofing call a few years back. He’s a retired pastor. His wife had Alzheimer’s in the late stages when I met him. It was so painful to see how shaken he was by this dreadful disease. I found him even questioning his faith a little at times, and it was me playing the role of pastor to him.

By James the Game on 05/04/2009 2:22 am
Deena B.
Neither of my parents suffered from Alzheimer’s although I have been around other loved ones who suffered from it.  My late father had Parkinson’s Disease, another ailment that would likely benefit from stem cell research.  Having said that, though, I still have reservations.  I want to be in favor of it for obvious reasons.  My concern is that we will open a Pandora’s Box of ethical issues by allowing it.  Sometimes, in solving one problem, we create another.  I dearly hope my concerns prove to be unfounded. 
By Deena B. on 05/04/2009 11:27 am
James the Game
I favor the stem-cell research, Deena, although you’re right about opening Pandora’s Box. I think we’re already seeing the Great Nightmare about computers taking over coming true. On the one hand, they’re fantastic. But they’re also taking hundreds of thousands of jobs. But if there’s anything we can do to prevent these excruciatingly painful death sentences, we ought to. Thanks for your insight.
By James the Game on 05/04/2009 7:35 pm
Deena B.

It is a terrible thing to watch someone you love suffer and slowly die from something that can maybe be cured or prevented.  I’m not absolutely against stem cell research, just concerned and conflicted.  Thank you for understanding my concerns. 

By Deena B. on 05/04/2009 9:14 pm
Carol LeMasters

I was spared to a point.  My father was coming down with it, the whole family was researching and trying to be ready when he was taken from us for other medical issues.  I think God took him to save him from his biggest fear of falling into this disease and not knowing who he was and not being able to care for himself.  He was a very strong and proud man.

But my wish is there is something that can be done in the future.  My whole family, Mom and Dad’s side has been stricken with Alzheimer’s, and it is bound to hit us.

By Carol LeMasters on 05/04/2009 1:30 pm
James the Game

Off subject, (I posted my thoughts on the Alzheimer’s higher up in the thread) but Marlo I received in mail from Shout Factor ‘Season 5’ of That Girl. Such a lovely package, in every way. The artwork, design, the wonderful voice-over narratives that you and Bill Persky put on there. A real keepsake, and the clarity of the video is astonishingly crisp, given that it was in the 1960’s. Thankfully, it was on ABC, which used top film materials.

Of the five seasons, I’d probably rank Season #4 the most hilarious, but only by a hair. That had Write is Wrong, and some other funny episodes. While That Girl was more of a romantic comedy, I’m so glad that it contained some slapstick moments, such as the one in which your finger gets stuck in the sink, and you have to dial the phone with a pencil between your toes. You really are pretty acrobatic; it makes me think you must’ve done something athletic as a child, to have those kinds of nimble physical skills.

It’s too bad I’ll never be able to sit down with you and point out some tiny things throughout the series that no one else might’ve noticed, in the background and stuff, that would be quite interesting.

I will say this. Lew Parker looks like he aged a lot from Season 4 to Season 5. I wonder if he already had that cancer in his system by then. In one show, he looks downright ill.

It’s long ago now, but only a remote control away from being here and now. Thanks.

By James the Game on 05/04/2009 7:44 pm