Renowned American zookeeper and conservationist Jack Hanna garnered fame through his captivating appearances on beloved TV shows like Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures and Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild. In October 2019, Hanna received the devastating diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive neurological disorder that gradually impairs memory and other cognitive functions.
Despite the diagnosis, Hanna’s condition remained private until 2021, when his daughters disclosed the news. Recently, the family of the iconic zookeeper shared a heartbreaking update on Hanna’s health amidst his ongoing struggle with the debilitating condition.
Jack Hanna’s family says his condition has worsened
The family, in a statement provided to People’s magazine, revealed that Hanna’s condition has deteriorated further due to the advancement of the degenerative brain disease. “We wish we had good news to share, but Jack continues to decline and has all the symptoms one would anticipate with advanced Alzheimer’s,” the statement reads. “Each day, we do our best to find joy – even when things are challenging.”
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They further emphasized that the revelation formed an integral aspect of their mission to enlighten the public by leveraging Hanna’s diagnosis as a teaching tool. “We hope that sharing Jack’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s brings awareness to the disease that affects almost 7 million Americans and their families,” they added.
This is not the first time Hanna’s family shared news about his health since his diagnosis, as they had previously provided updates in June 2023 during a discussion with The Columbus Dispatch. His wife Suzi and daughters Kathaleen, Suzanne, and Julie revealed that Hanna’s memory is now limited to remembering his wife, his beloved dog Brassy, and occasionally, his eldest daughter Kathaleen. “The Jack people knew isn’t here anymore, but pieces of my husband are,” his wife admitted. “And I’m going to hang onto them for as long as I can.”
However, Suzi, who has been married to Hanna since 1968, also stated that despite the challenges brought about by his condition, she remains committed to catering for him. “My husband is still in there somewhere,” she said at the time. “There are still those sweet, tender moments — you know, pieces of him that made me and the rest of the world fall in love with him,” she confessed. “It’s hard. Real hard some days. But he took care of me all those years, and so it’s my turn to take care of him.”