White House Has Been Told That Former President Ronald Reagan's Health Has Deteriorated

AP ^

[Happy2BMe]

Former President Ronald Reagan's health has deteriorated, the White House has been told. The White House was informed that the 93-year-old former president's health had changed significantly in the past several days, a person familiar with Reagan's condition said Saturday.

Reagan has been out of the public eye since disclosing a decade ago that he had Alzheimer's disease. He has lived longer than any other U.S. president.

Rumors about Reagan's health arose Friday and his office in California said it had received more than 300 calls over the past two days.

"He's 93 years old. He's had Alzheimer's disease for 10 years. There are plenty of rumors. When there is something significant to report I will do so," the Reagan family's chief of staff, Joanne Drake, told The Associated Press on Saturday.

White House officials also checked on Reagan's health Friday. The White House was told his health has deteriorated and "the time is getting close," according to the person familiar with Reagan's health, who did not want to be identified out of sensitivity to the family. "It could be weeks. It could be months."

Reagan's condition has changed significantly for the worse in the past several days, this person said.

News about Reagan's health came as President Bush arrived in the French capital, the second stop on his trip to Europe.

Former first lady Nancy Reagan, at a fund-raiser last month for human embryonic research, described the toll that Alzheimer's has taken on her husband.

"Ronnie's long journey has finally taken him to a distant place where I can no longer reach him," she said. "Because of this I'm determined to do whatever I can to save other families from this pain. I just don't see how we can turn our backs on this."

Nancy Reagan and others believe the use of stem cells from embryos could lead to cures for such illnesses as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

Such research is generally opposed by political conservatives and many anti-abortion groups because it involves the destruction of days-old human embryos. President Bush signed an executive order in 2001 limiting research to existing embryonic stem cell lines.

Reagan celebrated his birthday Feb. 6 in seclusion at his Los Angeles home. The nation's 40th chief executive, who broke his hip in a fall at his home in 2001, has rarely been seen in public since his poignant letter announcing he had the memory-sapping disease.

In that note on Nov. 5, 1994, Reagan said, "I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead."

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[Happy2BMe]

Can you believe his hair never turned white?

[Sabertooth]

I believe Al Gore made a crack about Reagan alzheimer's disease.... If I'm not mistaken.

I believe you are correct, and Gore is far from alone.

Should, say, President Clinton ever suffer a debilitating disease, I hope that those on the Right would be more compassionate of his plight, whatever our opinions might be of the man, than many of the Left have been for President Reagan.

[BenLurkin]

Ronald Reagan - one of the few bright spots in American politics for as far back as I can remember being concerned with politics (some forty years).

[ChadGore]

Respect

[Sabertooth]

Can you believe his hair never turned white?

President Reagan's hair has an interesting quality, in that it photographs much darker than it actually appears in person. I had the good fortune to do some work in his office and later in his home from 1995 to 2000, and was struck at how dark the President's hair appeared in some pics he was kind enough to take with my daughter.

His hair was still very dark for a man his age, but much more salt and pepper than pictures would indicate. If his hair was being dyed, as many have speculated, it would have had to have been done strand by strand. I'm inclined to think that it wasn't.

[Happy2BMe]

What an honor it was for you to work with "The Gipper!"

While he as no saint (and neither was Thomas Jefferson or James Madison), the years that he did have when he was in complete control of all his faculties were splendidly abundant with honesty, integrity, and that wonderful smile that drove away even the darkest of liberal negativity.

(If you can, it would be really something to see any personal photographs you may have of the Gipper.)

[ErnBatavia]

One of the best things about Ronald Reagan is that he probably had Helen Thomas pegged even better than Ari Fleischer did:

[Luis Gonzalez]

"I'm sure the past decade has been sheer hell, Nancy, but the Ronald Reagan I know and love was no cannibal."

You know Ronald Reagan?

AND you know him better than Nancy?

[Happy2BMe]

We will begin bombing in five minutes . .

[Luis Gonzalez]

"In closing, let me thank you, the American people, for giving me the great honor of allowing me to serve as your president. When the Lord calls me home, whenever that day may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future."

He will also leave with our undying love and gratitude.

[Happy2BMe]

You're choking me up here!

[tallhappy]

His passing, whenever it may be, will be used to garner kneejerk sympathy support for harvesting cells from fetuses or embryos and to demonize those who feel it is unethical to use nascent human life in that manner.

The false impression that fetal stem cells have potential to treat alzheimers will be hyped out of context of the overall state of stem cell research.

It's already happening before he's passed. Nancy Reagan means well but has been taken in. People hurting after a loss and after a long bout of difficulty are often taken in by snake oil sales.

[Sabertooth]

(If you can, it would be really something to see any personal photographs you may have of the Gipper.)

Unfortunately my scanner isn't working. I've posted the story elsewhere, but back on Halloween of '95 or '96, a group of local school kids was invited to trick or treat at the Reagan Office in Century City, as security at the Bel Air house didn't lend itself to that sort of thing, and President Reagan is very fond of kids.

My daughter was the same age, so I wangled a spot for her with the group... who showed up late. Since we were on time, she got the President to herself for 10 - 15 minutes. She was dressed up as the Evil Queen from Snow White, so I went to a grocery store the night before and found the six reddest, most flawless Rome Beauty apples (poisonous, of course), which she handed out to the President and the Secret Service, much to their amusement.

[Sabertooth]

His passing, whenever it may be, will be used to garner kneejerk sympathy support for harvesting cells from fetuses or embryos

President Reagan's passing shouldn't be used by either side of the fetal stem cell debate to score points.

Your posts, as correct as they might be, are inappropriate on this thread, and because of their lack of a sense of place will sway no one who is undecided on this issue. If anything, your posts will serve a converse end.

Please stop.

[plain talk]

My father had Alzheimer's as well and died of pneumonia. The picture of Nancy and President Reagan reminds me of visits to the nursing home where my mother would feed him desert and kiss him. Now my mother has it.

[tallhappy]

I have already heard on the radio the beginnings to use this as a means to hype embryonic stem cell reseacrh and bash Bush for not funding it.

[NCPAC]

Well stated. Thank you.

As for Ronald Reagan - well, he saved America. Period.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

Bumping for a true American hero