Concern for others made Bud Harrelson go public with his Alzheimer's diagnosis

When Bud Harrelson, the part-owner of the Long Island Ducks independent league team, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2016, he took a bold step.

“He did one amazing thing,” said his former wife, Kim Battaglia. “The day he got the news, he immediately handed over his car keys and never drove again. He admitted to getting lost driving a couple of times in Florida. That was a proud moment for him. He saw he had a responsibility to others on the road. He did the right thing out of great personal sacrifice. It was hard for him. Giving up driving was a loss of independence.”

Battaglia is Harrelson’s main caregiver and visits him regularly at a Long Island assisted living facility where Harrelson, 79, resides in the memory care unit. “In the beginning, not everyone knew about his condition,” Battaglia said. “My son [Tim] had to drive him to the [Ducks’] stadium [in Central Islip] and Kevin [Baez] the manager would drive him home.”

For years Harrelson was a baseball ambassador on Long Island who signed countless autographs before every home game and loved to pitch batting practice in addition to coaching first base in his familiar uniform No. 3. He stayed involved with the Ducks as long as possible.

“He could no longer be functional at home, so he needed to be somewhere where there would be a full-time staff surrounding him,” Battaglia said. “He is in the later stages of Alzheimer’s and needs assistance with everything. There are days when you can’t get his attention at all and other days he might smile and show signs of recognition.”

She said one such day was on a visit in late August. “His eyes were bright, he smiled and lifted his eyebrows like he does when he’s feeling witty,” Battaglia said. “He can take information in, but he can’t respond to it. He hasn’t been able to talk for some years now, so it’s hard to know what’s going on. There is an assisted living population there and sometimes he gets recognized. He doesn’t mind that. His caregiver brings him to the park or for ice cream so he gets a change of scenery.”

Most of Harrelson’s family lives on Long Island. “He is well cared for, and for that we can feel grateful. The facility and staff address issues as they come up. We are all in on every major decision,” Battaglia said. “That’s a gift to be able to stay connected and be a part of his life by visiting him regularly. When he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, he wanted to go public so people with that disease wouldn’t feel alone. As a family, we’ve been able to do that.”