Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who famously landed a passenger jet on the Hudson River in 2009, shared Tuesday he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
“It is early stage. For now, this means a name may not come easily to me, I forget a story I have recently told, or I don’t sleep as well, but I am in the beginning of this long journey,” he wrote in a post on social media. His statement was first shared with People magazine.
Alzheimer’s is a brain condition that gradually causes problems with memory and other skills. It is the most common cause of dementia. There is no cure, but there are medications that can slow the progression of the disease, CBS News chief medical correspondent Jon LaPook said.
Sullenberger became a national hero when his quick thinking saved 155 people on board US Airways Flight 1549 on Jan. 15, 2009. Shortly after takeoff from New York’s LaGuardia Airport, both engines of the plane started to fail due to a bird strike. In less than four minutes, Sullenberger and his crew executed an emergency water landing in the Hudson River, after determining landing at an airport wasn’t feasible, according to a cockpit voice recorder transcript. All passengers and crew members were then evacuated from the plane and rescued by first responders.
The landing would become known as the “Miracle on the Hudson” and was portrayed in the 2016 film titled “Sully.”
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Sullenberger, who went on to serve for years as an on-air expert for CBS News, is an advocate for aviation safety.
Since his diagnosis, the retired pilot said he has learned how prevalent Alzheimer’s is. More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Sullenberger said he hopes that by sharing his diagnosis, others with the disease will also speak up.
“Over the years, when people would ask about the successful outcome of Flight 1549, I would say that ‘courage can be contagious,’ and on that day it helped everyone band together to get everyone off that airplane successfully,” he wrote. “Now we need that courage to battle this disease. I am now part of a larger community with many of you, and we will be courageous together.”
LaPook praised Sullenberger for talking about his experience.
“There’s still tremendous stigma that’s surrounding any type of dementia. When somebody well known comes out and says, ‘I have Alzheimer’s,’ that empowers other people to say, ‘Hey, you know what, I’m going to go out and I’m going to talk to my physician, my caregiver, and tell them about my symptoms, too,'” LaPook said.