Columbus Zoo shares how to send messages of support amid Jack Hanna's Alzheimer's battle

Jennifer Smola Shaffer, The Columbus Dispatch
·2 min read
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Jack Hanna sits with his wife, Suzi, his service dog, Brassy, and his daughter, Kathaleen, alongside the Swan River as they take their daily walk along the Bigfork Nature Trail near his Montana home on May 2. As his battle with Alzheimer's continues, the public can share messages of support in a mailbox at the Columbus Zoo or through email, Columbus Zoo CEO Tom Schmid said Wednesday.

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has shared details of how to show support to Jack Hanna and his family as the beloved longtime zoo director continues to battle Alzheimer's disease.

In a social media post Wednesday morning, current zoo CEO Tom Schmid thanked the Hanna family for opening up about Jack's private battle with the disease. Dispatch journalists recently spent time with Hanna and his family at their home in Bigfork, Montana, marking the first time the family has spoken publicly about their struggle with Alzheimer's.

"We are grateful to the Hanna family for sharing such a personal update about Jack’s private battle with Alzheimer’s disease," Schmid said in his message Wednesday. "Their decision to talk about Jack’s health challenges brings awareness to this disease that affects more than six million Americans of all ages. We stand in support of Jack, Suzi, and the Hanna family. Jack is and will always be an integral part of the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds’ history and legacy."

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The zoo has set up a green mailbox within its guest relations office at its front entrance where "notes of love and support to Jack and the Hanna family can be dropped off," Schmid said.

Supporters can also email info@jackhanna.com to share messages of support directly with the Hanna family, Schmid said.

The Hanna family also thanked the public for their support over the past two years and asked for continued privacy.

"June is the month with the most light — and a time to recognize the fight against the darkness of Alzheimer's," the Hanna family said in a written statement posted on Jack Hanna's website and on social media. "While Dad/Jack is still mobile, his mind fails him, the light in his eyes has dimmed, and we miss who he was each and every moment of the day."

"We have been so grateful for your kind messages, words of support, and the privacy you have afforded our family over the last 2+ years," the family wrote.

Photos: Jack Hanna's life in Montana

jsmola@dispatch.com

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How to support Columbus Zoo icon Jack Hanna amid Alzheimer's battle