Captain Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger, famed for landing a disabled passenger plane on the Hudson River in 2009, has spoken publicly about his early-stage Alzheimer’s diagnosis. He said he fears increasingly becoming a burden to his wife, Lorrie, as the disease progresses, but is trying to approach it by planning carefully and focusing on priorities.

Sullenberger, 75, said his early symptoms included sleep problems and forgetting names and recently told stories. He and Lorrie, who have been married for 37 years, chose to discuss the diagnosis to challenge stigma, encourage awareness of early symptoms and support other families; Lorrie said she would take caregiving one day at a time. Their two daughters were also mentioned, alongside the 2009 emergency landing in which all 155 people aboard survived.