Alan Alda Announces Devastating Disease But He’s Optimistic

This morning, Alan Alda announced that he has Parkinson’s Disease on “CBS This Morning.” The “MASH” actor who made us laugh as Dr. Hawkeye Pierce was diagnosed three and a half years ago, but he is not allowing the disease to dismantle his outlook on life. Instead, he is using his diagnosis to help spread the word about the degenerative disease.

Alda asked his doctor for a scan before normal symptoms of the disease appeared. He heard that acting out your dreams was a very early sign of Parkinson’s and he had been doing that. He wanted an early diagnosis so he could better prepare and make the most of his life while he still could.

The 82-year-old actor decided to finally make the announcement about his diagnosis as his hands recently began twitching. He wanted to inform the public rather than have some reporter investigate and frame this as a sad story. Alda is not sad, rather he is using the platform to increase awareness about the disease.

Alda explains his diagnosis and outlook in the two tweeted videos below.

Alda said he didn’t want to be “immobilized by fear,” but he has focused on what he can do. He has taken boxing lessons and he plays tennis. He points out that the disease is different for everyone and he recognizes that some others have much more severe symptoms. In the tweeted video below, he encourages others to focus on what they are able to do rather than what they can’t.

Like Michael J. Fox, Alda is using his diagnosis to help others. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s twenty years ago and has been very public about his battle. Glen Campbell and his family did the same thing with the country star’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

While Alda is remaining positive about his diagnosis, he clearly has a battle in front of him and could use our prayers.

Source: People