Donald Newhouse Honored for Work Targeting Primary Progressive Aphasia, All Forms of Most Common Dementia under 60

NEW YORK , April 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday night, at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City, The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) honored Donald Newhouse at its 2022 Hope Rising Benefit.

Donald lost his wife, Susan Marley Newhouse, to primary progressive  aphasia in 2015. A form of FTD, the most common dementia for people under 60, primary progressive aphasia is characterized predominantly by the gradual loss of the ability to speak, read, write, and understand what others are saying.

By what he describes as a "quirk of fate," Donald also lost his brother Si Newhouse (then co-owner with Donald of Advance Publications) to a different form of the same disease in 2017.

AFTD honored Mr. Newhouse – a Board Member of the organization – for his leadership and contributions to a deeply personal cause: bringing forward a world with compassionate care, effective support, and a future free of primary progressive aphasia and all forms of FTD.

First Benefit Since 2019
More than 375 people attended the 2022 Hope Rising Benefit, the first in-person Hope Rising Benefit since 2019. The event drew in more than $2,150,000 to support AFTD's mission, the highest amount raised since the Benefit began in 2016.

Paula Zahn, Emmy Award-winning journalist and executive producer and host of Investigation Discovery's On the Case with Paula Zahn, hosted the event for a fifth year. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and Discovery Inc. CEO David Zaslav served as Benefit Chairs.

Mr. Zaslav and AFTD's CEO, Susan L-J Dickinson presented Mr. Newhouse with the Susan Newhouse and Si Newhouse Award of Hope, in recognition of his sustained work as an advocate, volunteer, and donor in support of AFTD's mission.

From Hope to Action
"I am honored this evening because we could not bring every family affected by FTD onto this stage," Mr. Newhouse said during his acceptance speech. "I ask you to use your imagination to see more than 60,000 families and so many more from around the world crowded onto this podium, each with their own unique story but united by the painful journey they have collectively endured."

"As you have heard tonight, AFTD funds research and efforts to increase awareness of FTD," he added. "AFTD turns the hopes of the sufferers into action."

Tony Award-winning singer and actress Jessie Mueller provided the evening's entertainment, and offered a special rendition of the standard "If You Knew Susie," dedicated to Mr. Newhouse's late wife.

AFTD's CEO Susan L-J Dickinson added: "I know Donald Newhouse as an AFTD Board member, volunteer, donor, and friend. I know him as one of many thousands in our community taking action to try to make this a better world for anyone facing FTD. And I know him as a singular force, bringing tremendous dedication, insight, and a single-minded perseverance to truly move the needle for families facing this disease."

Other speakers at the event included AFTD Board Member Beth Walter, who delivered the keynote address, and Benefit Vice Chair Kathy Newhouse Mele, daughter of Mr. Newhouse and herself an AFTD Board Member.

New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey described the impact of Hope Rising in a video that played during the event.

"The fight against FTD is a personal one for me, as my father passed away in 2017 after suffering from primary progressive aphasia," said Sen. Hinchey. "To the family members and those with direct experience battling this challenging disease, know that my heart is with you. To those who are allies in our fight, thank you for your help in raising awareness amongst your communities even after tonight and for your generosity in helping to fund the research that will get us to a cure."

The event featured a special video produced by Discovery, Inc., featuring Mr. Newhouse's story and honoring his work with AFTD to end primary progressive aphasia, behavioral variant FTD, FTD-ALS, and all forms of this disease.

About Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) and AFTD
Currently there are no approved disease-modifying treatments for FTD, which affects more than 60,000 people in the United States and today is always fatal.

The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) is the leading nonprofit devoted to helping families affected by FTD today, and driving   research to foster accurate diagnosis, treatments, and a cure. Our volunteer-founded organization – driven by thousands of volunteers and donors – reflects a community's determination to #endFTD.

Coverage
VOGUE: Donald Newhouse Is Honored at the 2022 Hope Rising Benefit

Approved photos of the benefit can be found through this link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wb8ukzb8mlcb0pu/AABi25_bN8UA2MTB3bGzFqlJa?dl=0

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SOURCE Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration