Country Music Legend's Daughter Pushes For Alzheimer's Research Funding
WASHINGTON (WJZ)—An emotional moment in Washington, D.C. The daughter of country music legend Glen Campbell testified on Capitol Hill that her dad is struggling with Alzheimer's and it may soon silence his music.
Mary Bubala has more on this story.
Country music legend Glen Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer's almost two years ago.
On Wednesday he traveled to Capitol Hill with his daughter Ashley, who fought back tears as she opened up to U.S. senators about her father's struggle with the disease.
"It's hard to come to the realization that someday my dad might look at me and I will be absolutely nothing to him," said Ashley Campbell, daughter.
Campbell appealed for ongoing support for research into the memory-stealing condition. Congress passed a bill two years ago with a goal of treatment and prevention by 2025, but they haven't fully funded it.
The disease is slowly sapping the life out of the singer/songwriter. In an interview we aired right before the Grammys last year, Campbell was struggling.
"Ashley, my little girl. She's the only girl, right?" he said during the interview.
"Now when I play banjo with my dad, it's getting harder for him to follow along. And it's getting harder for him to recall my name," said Ashley Campbell.
Doctors who treat Alzheimer's patients say there is a critical need for more research funding, and the more high-profile struggles lawmakers and the public see can only help.
"It is so important because so far we don't have any treatment and we need a lot of research to figure it out because people are living longer," said Dr. Saeed Khan, GBMC.
Alzheimer's disease affects more than 5 million Americans. It's expected to reach 7 million by the year 2025 - a 40 percent increase.
