Regarded as one of the most brilliant and legendary actor’s and comedian’s amongst peers, Robin Williams passed away on August 11, 2014 at the age of 63. William’s wisdom, banter and competence astounded his peers, as he touched the hearts of others and inspired world renown figures to push their excellent minds to the limits of human capacity. One of America’s most beloved childhood heroes was taken too soon from the tragedy of suicide as an outcome of a disease that was consuming and warping his life. “Robin Williams was one of my favorite actor’s growing up and the fact that he is gone still upsets me today” remarks senior Gillian Dunne. 

In the months leading up to William’s death, Susan, the now widow of Robin, exclaimed that she and her husband, “were living a nightmare.” Constantly complaining about a different ailment, Susan recollects thinking her husband was a hypochondriac. Robin Williams was suffering from a relatively obscure brain disorder called Lewy Body Dementia. This disease is caused when “normal proteins in the brain begin to aggregate, forming clumps called Lewy bodies, that as they spread, muck up the ability for the brain to transmit signals,” remarks neurologist James Leverenz. LBD symptoms can closely resemble other more generally known diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, therefore it is widely underdiagnosed. Susan speaks out to the fans of her husband, shedding light on the disease process that is put to blame for taking her husband’s life. When interviewing with ABC News’ Amy Roach, Susan claimed, “Depression didn’t kill my husband, it was what was going on his brain.” LBD can impair vision, the ability to identify objects, mind, mood and body movement. Unfortunately, all of these devastating conditions affected Robin and caused him to start losing his mind, which Susan adds, “he was aware of.”

It wasn’t until after Robin’s autopsy was released that Susan learned what her husband was suffering from. The misdiagnosis of her husband is what motivated Susan to raise awareness as well as generate money to better identify ways of diagnosing and medicating this cryptic condition. Because LBD is an umbrella term for two related diagnoses, an estimated 1.4 million individuals are affected by it. Susan wants to encourage a more comprehensive treatment approach so that the symptoms are diagnosed more efficiently and effectively, which junior Bella Kirkpatrick comments, “I think what Robin’s wife is doing is very helpful and important in todays medical field. I think that the severity of this disease needs to be displayed so that people understand how detrimental it really is.” This progressive dementia causes an accelerated decline in mental abilities as well as visual hallucinations, which alter behavior. Fluctuations in attentiveness and alertness are also significant factors that are present and should be carefully analyzed.

Robin Williams had a profound impact on this world. He transformed the perception of the articulation and talent that is essential in the arts, and for that, he was truly an awe-inspiring man. “He impacted the world of acting and comedy like none other” adds junior Bella Guerra. No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world” — Robin not only proclaimed and embodied this animated message, but also demonstrated it to be one that is genuinely viable.