1. It Does Happen: Early Onset Dementia Whole Care Network 49:33

At any age, a dementia diagnosis is difficult to grasp… But a dementia diagnosis at age 42?

This episode of Healing Ties features special guest David Benedetto who shares his important story about being diagnosed with Early Onset Dementia at 42 and Dementia Care expert Gary Joseph LeBlanc from the Dementia Spotlight Foundation .

Listen in and learn how David and Gary are inspiring other and creating Healing Ties by sharing their stories and critical resources to help those with faced with this diagnosis be better prepared for their own personal journey.

You Might Know Me As The Bow Tie Guy - "Wearing a bow tie is like wearing two smiles."

When people ask me, "why did you create the Whole Care Network"... I always come back to our caregiving experience and how fortunate I was to find resources that helped me and my partner Richard Schiffer manage our caregiving journey. Every caregiver has a story; through our stories, we find validation, resources, and respite to help manage our caregiving day.

We were fortunate to have our story chronicled in a 2015 Pulitzer Prize-nominated 3-part story, “In Sickness and In Health: A Couple’s Final Journey,” which told our journey of caregiving. The story told of the challenges LGBT partners have in dealing with the medical and legal system, but it also told of the love and joy my partner Richard's last years had on our relationship.