Promoting awareness about the disease, the actor son of Clint Eastwood recalls the heartbreak his mother had to endure in the last seven years of his grandma's life.
- Sep 22, 2018
AceShowbiz - Actor Scott Eastwood has opened up about the devastating toll his late grandmother's battle with Alzheimer's disease had on his family.
The "Suicide Squad" star, who is the son of acting legend and filmmaker Clint Eastwood and flight attendant Jacelyn Reeves, watched his mother attend to his grandma in the last seven years of her life, before she passed when he was 10.
Scott explains the dementia battle extended far into the family, as it was difficult to witness his mom return home heartbroken and exhausted every day, after caring for his grandmother, who couldn't remember her own daughter.
"It takes a toll on the whole family," the 32 year old tells PEOPLE. "I know how hard it was to see my mom in so much pain having her mother forget who she is. I can't even imagine having to go through that and having my mother and my father not remember who I am or not remember that I called the day before."
Scott teamed up with LearnAboutAlz.com and Allergen for World Alzheimer's Day on Friday, September 21, to promote awareness about the disease, and "The Fate of the Furious" star admits he is always happy to spread a message of hope to others who are struggling with the impact of dementia and Alzheimer's.
"We just want people to know they're not alone," he shares. "It's a day where people can remember their loved ones who passed away and give support to other caregivers.
"It's not at the front of young people's minds because they think, 'Oh, it's an old persons' disease'... Well, the reality is, it's an every person disease. We're all going to get older, and dementia is a real problem. I think the more we can be ahead of it and understand it, the better we will all be."
