'Frasier' star David Hyde Pierce honors Reagan's 'turning point' in Alzheimer's awareness

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. - Fresh disconnected of his show astatine the Tonys, "Frasier" prima and Broadway histrion David Hyde Pierce emceed a gala to rise consciousness for Alzheimer's illness successful New York City connected Monday, a origin adjacent to his heart.

Pierce led the formed of Broadway's "Pirates of Penzance," which was nominated for champion revival of a musical, successful an entertaining show astatine Sunday's Tony Awards. But the theatre is lone 1 of Pierce's passions. The histrion served arsenic the Master of Ceremonies for the CaringKind Gala to assistance rise awareness of Alzheimer's connected Monday evening astatine Cipriani edifice successful Midtown Manhattan. Pierce has a idiosyncratic transportation to the origin due to the fact that his begetter suffered from dementia and his gramps battled Alzheimer's.

Ahead of his hosting duties, Pierce tried to dispel immoderate misconceptions astir Alzheimer's, arsenic good arsenic offered proposal connected however loved ones tin inactive marque the effort to enactment connected to those affected by it.

"I deliberation it's ever miraculous, what radical sense, and feel, and know, beyond what we tin imagine," Pierce told Fox News Digital.

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Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce (they co-starred connected TV successful the "Cheers" spin-off "Frasier") airs backstage astatine the deed philharmonic "Finding Neverland" connected Broadway astatine The Lunt-Fontanne Theater connected June 28, 2015, successful New York City. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic) (Getty Images)

"You know, I'm aged capable to person experienced that galore times," helium continued. "It's a privilege to beryllium with idiosyncratic making that last modulation and successful that moment, you conscionable don't know. You person religion and anticipation that conscionable your beingness determination is enough. It's conscionable – they whitethorn not beryllium capable to respond successful the mode you're utilized to them responding, but that doesn't mean they're not listening."

Alzheimer's has been portrayed onscreen implicit the years successful movies similar "The Notebook" and "The Father," and Pierce said immoderate of these examples person helped those afflicted "feel much seen."

"One happening I've noticed, determination are truthful galore wonderful, accurate, compassionate portrayals now, onstage, connected film, and it's a tribute to the committedness of the actors, and the writers and directors," helium said. "It's besides a reflection of however prevalent these diseases are, that much and much radical cognize astir them."

CaringKind CEO Eleonora C. Tornatore-Mikesh offered the 2014 movie "Still Alice" arsenic different close portrayal of Alzheimer's, noting that her instauration adjacent worked with Julianne Moore portion she was prepping for the movie. Moore plays a renowned prof who discovers she's been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. Tornatore-Mikesh said the interaction of the movie was far-reaching.

"Definitely popular civilization ever helps summation interest and awareness," she said.

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David Hyde Pierce arrives astatine the CaringKind Gala successful New York City to enactment Alzheimer's awareness. (Cortney O'Brien/Fox News Digital)

The precocious President Ronald Reagan is often credited with helping bring the illness into the American nationalist consciousness. In November 1994, a fewer years aft helium near office, helium wrote a heartfelt missive to the American radical revealing his diagnosis, hoping helium would promote much radical to acquisition investigating and go much informed.

"So now, we consciousness it is important to stock it with you," Reagan wrote successful part. "In opening our hearts, we anticipation this mightiness beforehand greater consciousness of this condition. Perhaps it volition promote a clearer knowing of the individuals and families who are affected by it."

"At the moment, I consciousness conscionable fine," helium added. "I mean to unrecorded the remainder of the years God gives maine connected this world doing the things I person ever done. I volition proceed to stock life’s travel with my beloved Nancy and my family. I program to bask the large outdoors and enactment successful interaction with my friends and supporters."

Pierce praised Reagan and his household for being truthful candid astir his struggles.

"President Reagan speaking publically astir his Alzheimer's was 1 of galore turning points," Pierce said. "And not lone President Reagan, but consequently, his girl Maureen was a tireless combatant and advocate. And I had the large privilege of moving by her side. At that time, I was successful California too. We went to Washington unneurotic and fought for much backing for research. She was a existent leader and inspiration to me."

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President Ronald Reagan penned a heartfelt missive to the American radical successful November 1994 revealing his Alzheimer's diagnosis. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg  and Universal History Archive via Getty Images)

Tornatore-Mikesh besides praised Reagan for his enactment successful bringing the illness to the forefront.

"One 100 percent," she said. "Nancy Reagan and Ronald Reagan and their full family, ‘til this day, are 1 of the beacon families that person helped rise interest and awareness."

An estimated 7 cardinal Americans are surviving with Alzheimer's illness arsenic of 2023, according to the Alzheimer's Association. In May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared the first-ever humor trial to observe Alzheimer’s, announcing its support of the archetypal in-vitro diagnostic device, Lumipulse.

The method is intended for aboriginal Alzheimer’s detection successful big patients implicit the property of 55 who are exhibiting signs and symptoms of the illness and is considered a breakthrough successful diligent care.

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Reagan concluded his 1994 missive by thanking Americans for allowing him the grant of serving arsenic president.

"I present statesman the travel that volition pb maine into the sunset of my life," he wrote. "I cognize that for America determination volition ever beryllium a agleam dawn ahead." 

Fox News' Angelica Stabile contributed to this report.