Eight years ago, Richard Bradshaw received a frightening diagnosis. He has Alzheimer’s disease. With the support of his wife Linda and the staff at the Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders (MIND), Bradshaw, a lifelong painter, uses his art as a source of joy and a way to engage with family and his community.
“I always just liked to draw,” Bradshaw says. His father, an engineer for General Motors, encouraged Bradshaw to continue perfecting his love of art when he saw the budding talent. Throughout his school years, teachers, too, encouraged his painting and drawing.
When he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Bradshaw immersed himself in his painting with even more enthusiasm, painting nature scenes, animals, or whatever might catch his eye browsing through magazines. He gives his paintings away to anyone who asks.
“[Alzheimer’s] doesn’t seem to affect me,” he says. “I still have the urge to do it. And I find that I’m just as bad as I always was.” He erupts in laughter. “I go with the flow. I know I have it. But I don’t let it interrupt my life.”
“He is blessed with a passion to paint,” Bradshaw’s wife Linda adds. “I believe that, along with medical help early on and getting treatment through the MIND Institute … they were just instrumental in getting him to where he is at today and being able to continue to do what he has done. It’s been pretty remarkable.”
With the rising number of cognitive issues among the growing population of elderly, the Bradshaws recommend that people reach out to their doctors as early as possible when detecting memory issues. Early treatment, they say, can make a big difference in slowing the disease, even as there is no cure.
“The faster you can get onto treatments they have nowadays that weren’t there years ago, it does slow the progression dramatically,” Linda Bradshaw says. “Don’t put it off.” Visit the MIND website to learn more.
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