The Taking of Deborah Logan Page #2

not only destroys the patient,

but has

a physiological influence

on the primary caregiver.

Alzheimer's occurs when

abnormal protein fragments

accumulate in the hippocampus,

killing neurons.

The disease then creeps towards

the front of the brain,

wiping out neurons responsible

for logical thought

and problem solving.

It then assaults

the sensory region,

sparking terrifying hallucinations.

Eventually, it erases a person's

oldest and most precious memories.

In end stage, Alzheimer's

destroys the part of the brain

that regulates the heart

and breathing.

When swallowing goes,

death is not far behind.

- DEBORAH:
Take this one off.

- SARAH:
Huh?

- Well, it's so military.

- What do you think?

Let's just... Yeah.

Wouldn't you agree?

I mean, you always look so pretty.

Whatever. OK, fine. Yep.

- Thank you. That's great.

- Gone.

Happy?

- I am happy-

Awesome.

DEBORAH:
Is that

a shirt of your dad's?

I guess I would have,

you know, a senior moment.

Sure, you know, I'd put the toast in

and it would pop up

and I'd put the... push it

back down again or something.

Toast it twice.

Big deal.

On several occasions,

she left the stove on.

OK? Burnt up the spice rack,

the whole wall.

DEBORAH:
If you remember

your grandmother,

she was frightening.

She would leave a pot

on the stove

until it melted right down

to the little glass top.

- Maybe it's genetic.

- So that was a clue.

I'm just saying what was a clue.

Mia asked what's a clue for me,

and that was a clue.

Alright. That was a clue.

WOMAN:
Deborah was exhibiting

what we call MCI-

mild cognitive impairment.

Through a battery of tests,

we were able to diagnose

with 95% certainty

that she was in the early stages

of Alzheimer's.

MIA:
How did she take the news?

It's devastating,

obviously, for anyone,

but Deborah's not someone

to go down without a fight.

MIA:
After the premature death

of her husband, Dennis,

to a pulmonary embolism,

Deborah was forced to provide

for two-year-old Sarah

on her own.

She leveraged their house

as collateral and would go on

to start a highly successful

switchboard answering service

for the town of Exuma.

DEBORAH:
That was the way

that professionals

received their messages

and, I guess, transferred information

back in those days,

was through

a professional answering service.

SARAH:
Everyone told her

she was crazy at the time.

- Right?

- DEBORAH:
They certainly did.

I was all alone

with a small child.

SARAH:
You can't tell Mom

not to do something

'cause then she will absolutely

make sure she does it.

- I was the nexus of this town.

- Yeah!

Doctors, lawyers,

and Town Hall, everybody.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes