UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Chairman George Vradenburg today issued the following statement on Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's Announcement of Dementia Diagnosis:

"I am saddened to learn of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's likely Alzheimer's diagnosis. I personally know her commitment to solving the challenge of this complex disease from her tireless work when we launched UsAgainstAlzheimer’s with a mission of accelerating a cure for the disease and as a caregiver for her husband John.

"In 2010, Justice O’Connor and Maria Shriver wrote in the Washington Post, ‘Alzheimer's disease is our generation's defining challenge. It is quickly becoming one of the greatest public and financial health issues of our time’ and they called for leaders who would ‘get ahead of an epidemic headed right for us.’  We have made some progress, but leadership to stem the emotional, physical and financial burden of Alzheimer’s is needed even more today.

"Justice O’Connor is not only a trailblazer, she is one of the sharpest legal minds our country has ever known, dedicating her life to service and justice. I admire that she has chosen to share her story. Conversations about cognitive impairment and brain health – within families, with healthcare professionals, and publicly – are critical to busting stigma and changing the way we care for our brains.  Like many people living with Alzheimer’s, Justice O’Connor embodies dignity and courage in the face of great adversity."