Former Restaurateur and Television Host, B. Smith, Opens Up About Alzheimers Struggle; says, “I Am Fighting Right Now”

FILE – This undated photo provided by PRNewsfoto for Sirius XM Radio shows former model and restaurateur B. Smith with her husband Dan Gasby. Police in the Long Island village of Sag Harbor, N.Y., where Smith lives, confirmed Friday Nov.21, 2014 that they have an “open missing person investigation” but declined to provide details. CBS New York says that Smith, 65, who revealed earlier this year that she has Alzheimer’s disease, was last seen around 11 p.m. Thursday in Southampton, N.Y. (AP Photo/PRNewsfoto for Sirius XM Radio)

Barbara Smith, better known as B. Smith, is a restaurateur, former model and TV host, and she is battling early onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Smith, 65, spoke with Today’s Al Roker about how she’s dealing with the disease and how she and her husband of 23 years, Dan Gasby, are working to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s.

“I had tears in my eyes,” said Smith about getting the diagnosis. “But at the same time I also said, ‘I’m not going to give to it. I am going to fight.’”

Gasby and Smith talked about the anger, frustration and sadness that came with the diagnosis, sharing experiences they had with Smith’s memory loss. However, they are working together to move forward.

“The first thing I think about is to try to create the best possible moments we can have,” Gasby said of the couple’s future. “If I had to do it all over again, I would’ve been happy for her to choose me as I would’ve been to choose her.”

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Source: The Hollywood Reporter | Lorena O’Neil