‘There’s Not Going To Be Any Pity Party’: Pat Summitt’s Journey With Dementia
Famed college basketball coach Pat Summitt died Tuesday, five years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's-type dementia. She used that time to shed light on the disease.
The New York Times:
In Pat Summitt, A Toughness Greater Than Invincibility
[Pat] Summitt died Tuesday at 64 after years of struggling with Alzheimer’s-type dementia. In her 38 years as a head college coach, she won 1,098 games, more than any other Division I coach, man or woman, and led Tennessee to eight national championships. You can talk about her toughness: She once dislocated her shoulder while chasing an aggressive raccoon off her porch, in an attempt to protect her Labrador retriever, and spent two hours trying to pop her shoulder back into place before calling for medical help. ... ut it’s also important to remember how Summitt dealt with dementia, and what a perfect reflection it was of her personality. (Macur, 6/28)
USA Today:
What Is Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease?
About 200,000 Americans suffer from early onset Alzheimer's disease, the condition that took the life Tuesday of legendary basketball coach Pat Summitt at age 64. She was diagnosed with the illness five years ago. USA TODAY's Liz Szabo asked experts to explain the disease. (Szabo, 6/28)