My comment is regarding Burt Constable’s article Jan. 29 on Primary Progressive Aphasia. My mother passed away at age 86 in 2008 due to kidney failure, six months after being diagnosed. She had suffered a stroke two years before which affected the right side of her body. This meant the left brain had been damaged.
As her demise progressed, even with therapy her speech deteriorated, but her cognition did not. I saw her frustration and could only attempt to accommodate this fact with love and much patience. I never knew about PPA, and if I was informed it did not register with me. Reading your article about Steve Riedner and his wife, Mary Beth, reminded me of the difficulty I had in my mother’s case. You have given me a clearer insight — though now it is too late.
Thank you for approaching this subject with your readers and giving me some understanding of the human condition in this regard. It emphasizes courage and love for those with PPA from a firsthand perspective.
Iris Seefeldt Arlington Heights
