Days after stepping away from the WABC-TV anchor desk, Bill Ritter sat down with Good Morning America on Monday, June 15, to share new details about his Alzheimer's diagnosis - and what he had been quietly living with for much longer than viewers knew.
Ritter told GMA that he first began noticing symptoms roughly two years ago, while he was still anchoring nightly newscasts. "I realized I was forgetting people, names, and places," he said. "I didn't know why that was happening."
It was his wife, Kathleen Friery, who also picked up on the change. "We thought, 'okay, well maybe I'm working too hard,'" he explained.
Ritter said he chose to go public with his condition because he felt he owed it to his viewers to be honest. He is now focused on treatment, family, and raising awareness about Alzheimer's disease.
He also reflected on how the diagnosis affects those closest to him. "Alzheimer's is a thing that gobbles up families, and they're the real tough ones in this," Ritter said. "My kids say, 'Dad, you're so brave about all this,' and I'm not the one that's brave. It's my kids and my wife who are the brave ones."
Since announcing his diagnosis live on the June 12 broadcast, Ritter said he has been overwhelmed by an outpouring of love and support.
He will remain part of the Eyewitness News team, shifting his focus to reporting on Alzheimer's - covering how the disease is impacting patients and families, the rising cost of care, and what the country might do to address it.
For the faith community, Ritter's candor is its own kind of witness. Choosing honesty over image, and family over career, he modeled what it looks like to face the hardest seasons with grace - and to ask others to carry the weight alongside you.
We continue to keep Bill Ritter and his family in our prayers.
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