Betty Pettit

Woman with Alzheimer’s Disease, Who Went Viral for Talking to Her Reflection, Dies at 86

Betty Pettit, who gained viral fame for sharing her journey with Alzheimer’s disease, died at age 86 on July 19.

Her youngest son, Josh Pettit, who managed Betty’s social media accounts on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, announced the news in a Facebook post. The announcement came 11 years after the Mooresville, North Carolina, resident was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.  READ MORE

NC grandma, Alzheimer’s sufferer with hundreds of thousands of online fans, dies at 86

Betty Pettit — a Mooresville woman who late in life unwittingly became an overnight social-media star as her son documented and publicized her worsening daily struggle with Alzheimer’s disease, via videos that inspired many while putting off a few — died at home in hospice care on Friday. She was 86. READ MORE

Alzheimer’s may have changed the LOVE that you share, but it can’t ever..will never have the power to completely erase it.”  READ MORE AND LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

Josh Pettit’s family has a heartwarming story of lifelong love and companionship. Bob and Betty, high school sweethearts from the Buffalo, New York area, met as fifth-graders and began dating in 1955. Betty became a devoted stay-at-home mom to their three sons, with Josh being the youngest, while Bob worked as a civil engineer.  READ MORE AND LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

An elderly New Yorker with late-stage dementia often forgets herself, but she never fails to recognize her beloved husband of 63 years and has even coined a catchphrase: “He’s my guy!” The couple has unwittingly become a viral sensation since their son began sharing sweet moments from their family home on social media.  READ MORE

No matter how much Alzheimer’s and dementia robs of people, it can never take away a lifetime of love and companionship.  READ MORE

NC Man Spreads Awareness About Alzheimer’s Disease Through Viral Social Media Videos of his Mother

There are about 6.5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease. Although Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that affects the memory, thought patterns, and behaviors in a person, its damage can also be felt by the loved ones of those who struggle with the illness. For one Moorseville, North Carolina man, embracing the changes that the debilitating disease causes is a part of the process, and that can be a gift too. READ MORE

Millions See Poignant Portrait of Alzheimer’s in One Family’s Viral Videos

A woman’s failure to recognize herself in the mirror has brought global attention to the symptoms of this common degenerative disease.  READ MORE

An 85-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s has become a major social media star thanks to her son’s playful #caregiver TikToks

After Joshua Pettit’s video of his mom, Betty Pettit, an 85-year-old woman living with Alzheimer’s, went viral on TikTok, fans from across the world flooded the family with gifts and words of support.  READ MORE

People around the world are rallying around this woman with Alzheimer’s.

Ever since they met in the fifth grade, Bob Pettit said his wife has always been the life of the party, a social butterfly and a caring mother.

Now, in what doctors say are the final stages of her Alzheimer’s disease, Betty Pettit has found new ways to share the love on TikTok.

It all began with a video their son Joshua Pettit posted around Thanksgiving of last year. Betty was talking to her reflection in a full-length mirror, asking the woman her name. When Josh told her the woman’s name was Betty, she smiled and said they shared a name. READ MORE

This NC man used a mirror to turn his mom living with Alzheimer’s into a TikTok star.

Josh Pettit talks about making short videos on TikTok with his mom, Betty, who has Alzheimers, to make people laugh but also bring awareness to the disease.  READ MORE

‘I should know her name’: Poignant moment woman, 84, suffering from Alzheimer’s has a conversation with herself – after not recognizing her own reflection in hotel mirror.

A sweet and sobering moment was caught on camera when an 84-year-old Alzheimer’s sufferer had a conversation with herself.  READ MORE