One of the nation’s most famous aviators and great heroes has announced a heartbreaking diagnosis.

Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III, the pilot who saved 155 people after making an emergency landing in New York’s Hudson River in what became known as “The Miracle on the Hudson,” shared in a public statement that he was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

“It is early stage,” he revealed. “For now, this means a name may not come easily to me, I forget a story I have recently told, or I don’t sleep as well, but I am in the beginning of this long journey.”

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Sullenberger, 75, shared with People magazine that he’s had trouble recalling details within the last year, despite having a photographic memory. He received his official diagnosis in August 2025.

The pilot became a celebrity when he carried out the emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on Jan. 15, 2009, after colliding with a flock of geese that resulted in engine failure. Everyone onboard survived.

Alzheimer’s, the most common type of dementia, impacts more than seven million people in the U.S. over the age of 65, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

“It is the unwanted visitor at the door.”

“My doctor, Dr. Gil Rabinovici with UCSF Medical Center, has opened my eyes to the prevalence of Alzheimer’s,” Sullenberger said in his statement. “This disease, he has told me, spares no age group and impacts millions of people around the world. It is the unwanted visitor at the door.”

Sullenberger’s wife, Lorrie, shared with People that the diagnosis has not dimmed his strong demeanor.

“Just as he was the same steady person before and after Flight 1549, he is the same steady person now, before and after this diagnosis,” she said. “That strength and steadiness is guiding us as a family.”

“We’re supporting him on this journey that we now walk with so many other families. Though the future is uncertain, we continue to live our lives, have hope and find joy in the everyday.”

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Flight 1549 first officer Capt. Jeff Skiles also commented on the news of his friend’s diagnosis.

“Sully is larger than life, even to me,” Skiles told People. “He’s somebody I’ve always looked up to, and I think a lot of other people do, too. Hopefully, it’s going to progress slowly and he’s going to be able to create the kind of life going forward that he would be proud of.”

Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel noted that Sullenberger had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the Miracle on the Hudson, which could have increased his risk.

“Age 75 is relatively late-onset,” he told Fox News Digital. “PTSD doubles the risk of developing Alzheimer’s because of changing brain chemistry and structure and sleep disruption.”

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Sullenberger reflected on how he has been a staunch advocate for travel safety, often addressing roadblocks in the aviation industry, fighting for increased pilot training and care.

Now, Capt. Sully, a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, plans to continue serving the public by focusing on raising Alzheimer’s awareness.

“This new phase of my life has challenged what it means to be of service,” he said. “And the answer is to speak up. It is my hope that by sharing this, other families living in the shadows with this disease will feel they, too, can step forward.”

“So many people told us after Flight 1549, that the outcome gave them hope,” he went on. “Lorrie, my incredible partner of 37 years, says we can all use a little of that hope right now.”

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Though the soon-to-be National Aviation Hall of Fame inductee’s memory of the past may be impacted, Sullenberger said his diagnosis “will not prevent me from looking forward to and appreciating our future. I will navigate this chapter with my wonderful family by my side.”

“Over the years, when people would ask about the successful outcome of Flight 1549, I would say that ‘courage can be contagious,’ and on that day it helped everyone band together to get everyone off that airplane successfully,” he said.

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“Now we need that courage to battle this disease. I am now part of a larger community with many of you, and we will be courageous together.”

What to know about Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia affecting memory, thinking and behavior, as described by the Alzheimer’s Association. It accounts for 60% to 80% of all dementia cases.

It is a progressive disease, meaning the symptoms gradually worsen over time. The memory loss is usually mild in early stages, but late-stage Alzheimer’s can include loss of ability to carry a conversation and respond to environmental factors.

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While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, there are treatments that can help slow symptoms. Newer, more effective therapies are on the horizon, experts say.

Certain lifestyle changes, including mental and physical activity, have been shown to help prevent the disease.

Dr. Daniel Amen, a psychiatrist, brain imaging doctor and founder of Amen Clinics in California, previously spoke with Fox News Digital about Alzheimer’s risk and management.

“Alzheimer’s starts in your brain decades before you have any symptoms,” he said. “So, a 59-year-old woman I diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease likely had negative changes in her brain in her 20s.”

“It’s really never too early to think about protecting your brain and your mind.”

“I will navigate this chapter with my wonderful family by my side.”

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Amen listed 11 major protective factors that can help ward off Alzheimer’s. These include promoting blood flow, reducing inflammation, and avoiding toxins like alcohol and drugs. Improving mental health, boosting immunity, getting adequate sleep and keeping diet and weight in check can also help reduce risk.

The doctor also recommends staying informed of hereditary diseases, maintaining a healthy hormonal balance and keeping the brain active in retirement.

Sullenberger’s 2009 bestselling autobiography, “Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters,” co-written with Jeffrey Zaslow, was adapted into a 2016 film, “Sully,” directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks.

Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden death has thrown new attention on a rare but often deadly cardiovascular emergency known as aortic dissection.

The cause of death was identified as an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to a statement released by Graham’s office on Sunday, citing preliminary findings from the District of Columbia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

“It occurs when the layers of the aorta (the body’s largest artery) come apart and the inner one tears,” Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel, who did not treat Graham, told Fox News Digital.

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“It can come on in minutes or days and may be hard to recognize,” added the doctor, noting that while dissections can evolve over time, symptoms often appear suddenly.

Graham, 71, is not the only notable figure to have died from an aortic dissection. 

Below are three other celebrities and public officials whose deaths were linked to the same life-threatening condition.

1. John Ritter

Actor John Ritter, best known for his role in the hit sitcom “Three’s Company,” died from an aortic dissection on Sept. 11, 2003.

The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health (JRF) said the actor was taken to the hospital after experiencing symptoms later identified as a type A aortic dissection. The nonprofit, founded in his honor to fund research and raise awareness for the condition, later said Graham’s death brought “needed attention” to the condition.

Type A dissections involve the ascending (upper) aorta near the heart, which typically require emergency surgery.

At the time of his death, Ritter was filming the sitcom “8 Simple Rules… for Dating My Teenage Daughter,” co-starring Kaley Cuoco.

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The actor was initially treated for a presumed heart attack, but passed away that night as his condition worsened.

In a press release, the JRF extended its condolences to Graham’s family.

“Deaths due to aortic dissections are preventable if individuals at risk are identified and properly treated.”

“These deaths underscore that aortic dissections are not a rare cause of death,” Meredith Ford O’Neal, CEO of the foundation, shared with Fox News Digital. “Deaths due to aortic dissections are preventable if individuals at risk are identified and properly treated.”

“We hope this moment encourages people to learn the warning signs of aortic dissection, which includes an increased risk for family members of individuals who have had an aortic dissection.”

2. Rep. Doug LaMalfa

Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., died on Jan. 6, 2026, at age 65 from complications of an aortic dissection, according to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office. Cardiomegaly (an enlarged heart) was listed as another significant condition, and his death was ruled natural.

LaMalfa, who represented California’s 1st Congressional District, was taken into emergency surgery but passed away during the procedure, according to a statement from the Butte County Sheriff’s Office.

A month later, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to People that his cause of death was complications of an aortic dissection. Cardiomegaly, or an enlarged heart, was also listed as a significant condition.

3. Alan Thicke

“Growing Pains” actor Alan Thicke died from an aortic dissection on Dec. 13, 2016, at the age of 69.

Thicke reportedly experienced chest pain while playing hockey with his son and was taken to the hospital.

The Los Angeles County coroner later determined that Thicke died from a ruptured aorta caused by a type A aortic dissection, according to ABC News.

Raising awareness

In a 2016 HCA Healthcare article, Nashville-based heart surgeon Dr. Grayson Wheatley reflected on Thicke’s “unfortunate” case.

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“I am sharing with you my expert thoughts based on limited information about Mr. Thicke’s case, but in light of an extensive career of treating hundreds of patients with aortic dissections, I can connect the dots in Mr. Thicke’s case from patterns that have emerged from treating similar patients with aortic dissections,” he said.

Chest pain is often the first sign of a sudden tear or rip in the aorta, which can develop “within a few heartbeats,” according to Wheatley.

“The pain associated with an aortic dissection is extreme,” he said. “My patients describe it as so intense and sudden that it drops them to their knees. They literally fall to the ground and feel an intense tearing or ripping in their mid-upper back and/or chest.”

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Once the dissection occurs, it becomes a “race against time” as the condition worsens, the doctor said.

Dr. Neel Mansukhani, a vascular surgeon at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, explained why this condition can become life-threatening so quickly.

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“The aorta is the main blood vessel that comes off of the heart, and it runs like a pipe through your body,” he told Fox News Digital. “Smaller blood vessels branch off to go to all your internal organs, arms, legs and brain.”

“The aorta itself has three layers,” the surgeon went on. “A tear in the lining of the aorta causes those layers to separate. It’s similar to paint peeling off a wall. And that brings a lot of consequences depending on where the tear is.”

An enlarged aorta or damage to the vessel wall from cardiovascular disease can increase the likelihood of an aortic dissection, although age and high blood pressure remain the leading risk factors, Mansukhani said.

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“As we get older, blood vessels can weaken, and over time the constant pressure of blood flow can make the wall of the aorta more vulnerable to a dissection,” he said. 

Type A dissections are “immediately life-threatening,” as they are “right by the heart,” according to the doctor.

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“It’s an emergency that usually needs surgery within 24 hours if a patient can tolerate that,” he said. “A type B dissection is located further down from the heart. It can also be life-threatening, but does not usually need immediate surgery.”

Although an aortic dissection often strikes without warning, maintaining cardiovascular health and monitoring conditions such as high blood pressure can help lower the risk, Mansukhani advised.

An Alabama teenager and his family are warning about the dangers of a viral social media trend after he suffered third-degree burns when a microwaved sensory toy exploded.

Eli Blackmon, now 13, was 11 when he saw videos on TikTok showing people putting NeeDoh squishy toys in the microwave in order to soften them.

The NeeDoh, a sensory toy similar to a stress ball, is described on the company’s website as a “gratifying super soft, super stretchy dough filled groovy glob.”

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“I thought it was harmless because an adult tried it and nothing happened,” he told Fox News Digital this week.

“When I took it out, my older sister held it for a few minutes, then I was playing with it. As soon as I squeezed it, it burst and the hot gel exploded onto my neck, chest and hands.”

The hot gel caused third-degree burns on the boy’s neck and chest.

“At first I was just feeling frantic because I wasn’t sure what was going on because he was just screaming and not communicating,” the teen’s mother, Fallon Blackmon, told Fox News Digital.

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“My husband is a fire medic and I work in emergency call taking, so I had a little knowledge of how serious it was. That obviously didn’t keep me from panicking on the inside.”

She was not aware of this trend before her child’s injury, she said.

“If I was aware, we would have had a conversation about not doing it.”

Eli Blackmon recalled feeling extreme pain after the injury.

“I thought I was going to die. I kept telling my parents, ‘I don’t want to die, I’m sorry,’ and I that I loved them.”

Blackmon was transported by ambulance to the emergency department at the local children’s hospital, and was later sent to the burn unit for wound care and debridement.

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“With how severe the burn was, they would typically recommend skin grafts, but they wouldn’t consider it for him because of the risks to his airway,” his mother said.

Blackmon had weekly visits with the burn unit for four months, during which the doctors scraped off dead skin and performed wound care.

“This was done with no pain meds or numbing, so all his follow-up appointments were very painful,” Fallon Blackmon said.

“Once the wound started to heal and the scarring began, they had to do chemical burns because he was developing granulation tissue.”

“Don’t do it! It’s stupid! It causes so much pain.”

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The teen also developed a rash from the bandages, which quickly turned into a staph infection.

“Another issue was that the burn was pulling fluids from his body, and this caused severe lower GI issues for months,” his mother said.

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Blackmon, who is a jiu-jitsu athlete, missed months of training and competing due to the injury. The family also faced thousands of dollars worth of hospital bills, doctor bills and wound care supplies over the four-month care period.

Now, the teen and his mother aim to help prevent other families from going through the same ordeal.

“If you purchase these types of toys, please just mention this trend and not to do it,” she urged parents. “Even if they don’t have social media, kids in school are hearing it from other kids.”

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Today, Blackmon attends to his scar each day so that it doesn’t cause any issues with neck mobility.

“I have to do stretches and moisturize and massage it daily,” he said.

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“It hasn’t really changed my confidence because all my friends and family are very supportive and tell me my scar is cool.”

To other kids who may be thinking about participating in this social media trend, Blackmon’s advice is simple: “Don’t do it! It’s stupid! It causes so much pain and other problems.”

“Actually, just don’t do any trends on TikTok, even if you think they are harmless,” he added. “Talk to your parents.”

Blackmon’s mother agreed, noting that sharing the story and receiving negative criticism from adults online would be worth preventing another child from being “scarred for life” and experiencing something so traumatic.

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A spokesperson for TikTok USDS Joint Venture previously shared with Fox News Digital that any content that “promotes dangerous behavior” and may lead to serious injury is considered a violation of the platform’s Community Guidelines. The company claims that it immediately removes these videos when they are found.

Fox News Digital reached out to the manufacturer of NeeDoh requesting comment.