Captain 'Sully' Sullenberger Discusses Alzheimer's Diagnosis, Fears Being a Burden

Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the retired pilot famed for the "Miracle on the Hudson," has spoken about his early-stage Alzheimer's diagnosis, expressing concerns about becoming a burden to his wife.

Sullenberger, 75, announced his diagnosis in mid-July. He recently opened up about living with the progressive brain disorder in an interview with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America, accompanied by his wife of 37 years, Lorrie.

He likened facing Alzheimer's to the high-stakes challenge of landing US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River in January 2009 after a bird strike disabled both engines. "I've done harder things than this before," Sullenberger stated, referencing the 208 seconds in which all 155 people on board survived. "We had to devise a plan, execute that plan flawlessly for the first time, never having done it before, and save every life in 208 seconds."

He added, "So I think we're we're doing the same thing here. We're focusing clearly on the highest priority items first, and we're ignoring everything we don't have time to do as being only distractions and unimportant."

Turning to his wife, Sullenberger expressed his worries about her role as a caregiver. "I do worry about you as a caregiver, and I know that what a burden caregivers have. I know it's going to be a thing, and I am very aware of it. And I think as this progresses, it's going to be an increasing challenge."

Lorrie Sullenberger stated her approach is to "just take it one day at a time," acknowledging the uncertainty of what lies ahead. The couple decided to speak publicly about the diagnosis to help reduce the stigma surrounding Alzheimer's and to raise awareness about its early symptoms.

"Initially, like a lot of families, we were not going to tell," Lorrie said. "And I said to Sully one day, this is a disease, not a character flaw. I think we need to talk about it more openly and maybe other people can do the same."

Sullenberger previously mentioned that initial signs of the disease included sleep disturbances and difficulty recalling recent names or stories. "This new phase of my life has challenged what it means to be of service," he said. "And the answer is to speak up. It is my hope that by sharing this, other families living in the shadows with this disease will feel they too can step forward."

In 2009, Sullenberger successfully landed the Airbus A320 aircraft on the Hudson River shortly after departing from LaGuardia Airport. The event, widely celebrated, led to him being hailed as a hero. The 2016 film "Sully," directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks, depicted the event and its aftermath.