Was very pleased to see how Mrs. Royal addressed the caregiver aspect.
In the first public acknowledgment that legendary former University of Texas football coach Darrell Royal has been living with dementia for several years, his wife, Edith, told members of a state legislative committee Tuesday of the emotional and physical toll.
"Every day since Darrell's diagnosis of dementia, I deal with the stress of managing everything without my best friend at my side helping me make decisions," Edith Royal said while testifying during a hearing of the interim joint House committee studying Alzheimer's disease.
With Darrell Royal, 87, by her side, and with support from friends including cyclist Lance Armstrong and actor Matthew McConaughey, Edith Royal also announced the creation of the Darrell K Royal Research Fund for Alzheimer's Disease .
Darrell Royal's comment was brief: "Thank you very much," he told the committee. "I feel like I'm home."
The popular coach posted a record of 167-47-5 from 1957 to 1976 at Texas, won three national championships and 11 Southwest Conference titles, and never had a losing season .
State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, was overcome with emotion at seeing the Royals in the Senate chamber. Calling Royal his personal hero, Lucio said: "Coach came to Texas to teach Texas men how to be men. He did that."
Edith Royal spoke of the impact of her husband's disease on her family and praised the support of their Longhorn family.
"It is now members of those teams and our football family that return from all over the country almost daily to shower Darrell with love, engage him in activities, play music, sing for him, take him out for a barbecue sandwich or a ride in a new pickup truck, and, as importantly, provide some element of relief for me. It is not just the free time for me, but I know that those moments with his former players and lifelong friends are pure enjoyment for him, even if it is only in that moment," she said.
She said her husband remembers games, players, even plays from many years ago, but "events of the here and now are much more difficult for him to recall. Occasionally he will come up with one of his humorous sayings or break out in song."
The Royals live in Querencia Barton Creek, an assisted living facility in West Austin. "We enjoy the companionship and support of other families in a place that offers great care," said Edith Royal.
She took time to recognize families affected by Alzheimer's disease who don't have the support or financial means to ease the burden of costly medicines and care.
"We are fortunate to have a team standing with us and behind us as Darrell and I take this journey together. ... Every day, caregivers are burning out, stressing out, suffering very serious side effects of this challenge, and do not know where to turn," she said. "Believe me, I know and ache for many of them."
She said Alzheimer's disease has affected some of her grandchildren on both sides of the family. One of the Royals' grandsons, Austin attorney David Kazen, who accompanied his grandparents to the state Capitol, said his other grandmother has Alzheimer's.
"For me, I've had these towering figures in my life who I've looked up to, and to see this disease rob them every day of who they are is excruciating. It's tough on them; it's tough on us," Kazen said.
His 7-year-old twin daughters, Alexandra and Isabella, who were born on Darrell Royal's birthday, visit frequently and play peekaboo with their grandfather.
"They have a blast with Daddy D. That's what they call him, and he loves it, too. At their age they know that he was a coach of the Longhorns, but he's just Grandpa," he said.
Kazen said Royal's way of life inspires all family members.
"To me, he would be one of the greatest humans I've ever known even if he didn't coach a day in his life. He's just a kind, honest, fun and good-hearted man," he said.
The Royals, in setting up the private fund, hope that state and private funds will flow to the DKR Fund to advance research of the disease. Donations can be made at www.dkrfund.org. The organization's large board of advisers includes current Texas coach Mack Brown.
According to the National Alzheimer's Association, Texas ranks third in the nation in the number of people with Alzheimer's. There are 340,000 Texans living with the disease, and the number is expected to increase more than 38 percent by 2025.