Jason Aldean and wife Brittany Aldean’s family have been quietly living with dementia. The former “American Idol” contestant opened up about their journey as her father battles the disease.
Brittany Aldean Reveals Family’s ‘Journey With Dementia’
Former ‘American Idol’ singer Brittany — who shares daughter Navy and son Memphis with the “Rearview Town” artist — shared a touching tribute video to her father as he continues to battle dementia.
“Our journey with dementia,” she captioned the Sunday, November 9, Instagram post. “The heartache that diseases like this bring to a family is something we know all too well. We hope this song brings comfort to anyone going through something similar.”
The video montage showed video footage of Brittany’s childhood with her dad, Donald Kerr. More recent clips were also added, including Donald with his grandchildren.
“Love you so much Daddy,” she added.
The clip was set to Jason’s new song, “Help You Remember,” which he cowrote with Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, John Morgan and Lydia Vaughn.
The song touches on Jason and Brittany’s personal experience with the disease, as he sings, “I tell you all the time / The same answers to those questions / That you’re asking all the time / Over and over these days.”
Brittany Emotionally Details Her Father’s Dementia Battle
The mother of two took to her Instagram Story to share further details with fans.
“Jason’s uncle actually had the same type of dementia, and passed away from dementia, right before my dad was diagnosed,” she explained.
She went on to say that the family began noticing signs of dementia in her father “back in 2020.” He was later diagnosed with Lewy body dementia two years later.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Lewy body dementia is the second most common form of dementia.
“People with LBD might see things that aren’t there, known as visual hallucinations. They also may have changes in alertness and attention,” the Mayo Clinic explains.
“It is true what they say about dementia, which is, ‘It’s the long goodbye,'” she continued. “Just cognitively, your loved one declines and it just seems like such a slow process but it’s quick too. You’re just, like, slowly losing your person. It’s just like mourning the loss of someone who is still alive”
Fans Share Support for the Aldeans
Fans and friends quickly filled the comment section with well-wishes for the couple, as well as to share their own experiences with the disease.
“Losing someone you haven’t lost yet is 💔,” Kailey Dickerson wrote.
“This is absolutely amazing @brittanyaldean – love your heart. All of our prayers continue to be with the family,” Kurt Allison, one of the song’s cowriters, added.
Taylor Mills Young wrote, “What a beautiful song 🥹❤️Your Dad is the sweetest man. This journey isn’t easy. Hugs to you and your fam.”
“I’m so sorry ❤️🩹 we went through this with my grandma a few years ago. Praying for you guys,” another follower chimed in.
My father suffered from LBD and the hardest part was that the most common delusions with LBD is that either the patient or their spouse is cheating on them. When mom came home every day, the first thing dad asked her was who she had been with that day. It was heartbreaking for her, because she still loved him so much.