'Miracle on the Hudson' hero Sully Sullenberger calls Alzheimer's his 'last fight' and fears becoming a burden on his wife
From the Newshound archive · first published 23 September 2026 · last updated 24 September 2026.
Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger, celebrated for saving 155 lives in the 2009 Miracle on the Hudson landing, appeared on Good Morning America to urge early Alzheimer's testing after his August 2025 diagnosis.Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger, whose wife Lorrie said the couple spoke out because most people only associate Alzheimer's with its late-stage symptoms.
Appearing on 'Good Morning America' alongside his wife Lorrie, he said he dreads becoming a burden to her as the disease progresses. His wife revealed the early warning signs were so subtle they went unnoticed for years before his formal diagnosis.
Lorrie Sullenberger warned that early Alzheimer's symptoms are far more gradual than the late-stage memory loss most people associate with the disease.
Sullenberger is now on a mission to raise public awareness of the warning signs that are easy to miss in the early stages.
The couple said small, unusual shifts in everyday routine — not dramatic memory loss — were the first indicators something was wrong.
