Some people seem to have it all. Brad Schmidt is one, beginning with his Pius X High School days as a talented athlete, to a successful career in sales and marketing. People are drawn to Brad, and he says it is his ability to interact with them that led to his success. He parlayed the communication skills honed serving as a Lincoln police officer for five years into a 25-year sales career, first with Data Documents and later with Landscapes Unlimited, which builds golf courses around the world. He traveled extensively, mingling naturally with the elite in professional golf. In 2002 things changed. Brad, then 52, began to notice problems with his thoughts and memory. He changed careers, and began raising funds for Tabitha Foundation. What started as subtle changes became noticeable to others.

By 2006, having trouble performing his job functions, Brad sought additional medical attention as his challenges with stress and anxiety mounted. In June 2007 after two weeks of evaluation at the Mayo Clinic, Brad received a diagnosis: dementia with Lewy bodies, characterized by abnormal deposits of a protein that formed inside the brain’s nerve cells. Lewy body dementia, which falls under the umbrella of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders, explained his progressive memory loss, difficulty concentrating, overwhelming anxiety and other problems. While the challenges Brad was dealing with now had an explanation, that did not make it any easier for him. He left his job and now concentrates on two other important aspects of his life: his faith and his family, including wife, Mary, his “angel.” On most days, he can keep his morning routine, yet often fights to make it through the afternoon and evening. As a guest speaker for the Alzheimer’s Association, Brad hopes to help others by sharing his story.