Current:Home > Invest'It’s so heartbreaking': Legendary Florida State baseball coach grapples with dementia-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
'It’s so heartbreaking': Legendary Florida State baseball coach grapples with dementia
View Date:2024-12-23 19:16:18
When legendary Florida State baseball coach Mike Martin was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in the summer of 2021, the Martin family had to learn a new reality.
Family members also had no idea how quickly the disease would change Martin's everyday life.
Carol Martin – Mike’s wife of 58 years – appreciates the love and support extended to her husband and family in their journey.
She also better understands how the condition impacts people.
"I want people to know it happens to so many families – it’s devastating to families so please give them as much support as you can," Carol Martin told the Tallahassee Democrat, part of the USA TODAY Network, in an exclusive interview.
"We knew of people who had (dementia) but didn’t have a deep understanding of it.
"We are learning fast."
Legendary FSU baseball coach Mike Martin dealing with dementia
Mike Martin, 79, who retired following the 2019 season after a 47-year career in Florida State garnet and gold as a player, assistant and 40 years as head coach, continues to deal with the effects of dementia.
He has experienced changes in attention, alertness and behavior, according to Carol Martin.
The family has been working with physicians and specialists to identify strategies that help Martin’s symptoms.
In moments of levity and respect, there are times when Martin – the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history across all sports with 2,029 wins – shares baseball instructions with Carol.
"He will want me to tell the boys to hit the cut-off man," Carol said.
"We laugh at some of the things that transpire – though it is a tragedy. You try to laugh to lift your spirits. In his mind at these times, he’s OK and still doing what he loves.
"We are hoping in his mind he’s happy and at peace."
FCA golf tourney to pay tribute to former FSU baseball coach Mike Martin
The annual Northwest Florida FCA Bobby Bowden Memorial Golf Tournament, scheduled for Oct. 30 will honor Mike Martin.
Former Florida State and NFL receiver Kez McCorvey, the FCA’s Northwest Florida multi-area director, said it’s important to pay tribute to coaches who have impacted the community and personal lives.
Martin built Florida State's winning culture and changed the baseball program.
His teams won 40 or more games and made the NCAA tournament every year he was the Seminoles' head coach starting in 1980. While he never won a national title, Martin's Seminoles advanced to the College World Series 17 times.
Martin, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Carol arrived in Tallahassee as newlyweds in 1964 – and never left.
"It’s an opportunity to love on the folks who have loved us," McCorvey said of the golf tournament, which will also feature former Florida State play-by-play announcer Gene Deckerhoff as the guest speaker.
"We want to let Coach Martin know he’s appreciated."
Lewy body dementia 2nd most common type of dementia following Alzheimer's
More than 55 million people have dementia, according to the World Health Organization.
Dementia is a term that is used to cover a variety of symptoms associated with declining mental ability. Almost 10% of U.S. adults over 65 have dementia, while another 22% have mild cognitive impairment.
Lewy body dementia is the second-most common type of dementia following Alzheimer’s disease.
While dementia affects each person in a different way, most changes in the brain that cause dementia are permanent and worsen over time. Medical personnel point to a compassionate support system as one key to helping those impacted by the disease.
"He’s changed – that’s the progression of that terrible disease," Carol said of her husband, whose parents had dementia.
"It’s so heartbreaking for me to see my companion of 58 years progressing down that path. It’s a 24/7 proposition. He’s not with us.
"He’s in his own little world."
veryGood! (154)
Related
- Oil Industry Asks Trump to Repeal Major Climate Policies
- Japan’s prime minister announces $113 billion in stimulus spending
- Tesla Cybertruck production faces 'enormous challenges,' admits Musk
- Ex-Memphis officer accused in Tyre Nichols death takes plea deal, will testify in state trial
- A pregnant woman sues for the right to an abortion in challenge to Kentucky’s near-total ban
- Putin signs bill revoking Russia’s ratification of a global nuclear test ban treaty
- China supported sanctions on North Korea’s nuclear program. It’s also behind their failure
- Why dozens of birds are being renamed in the U.S. and Canada
- Congress heard more testimony about UFOs: Here are the biggest revelations
- Proof Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid's Night Out Is Anything But Shallow
Ranking
- Relive Pregnant Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly's Achingly Beautiful Romance
- 'Friends' co-creators tell NPR they will remember Matthew Perry for his heart
- US applications for jobless benefits inch higher but remain at historically healthy levels
- Virginia woman wins $50k, then over $900k the following week from the same online lottery game
- School workers accused of giving special needs student with digestive issue hot Takis, other abuse
- Titans vs. Steelers live updates: Predictions, odds, how to watch Thursday Night Football
- Judge says Alabama lawmaker violated his bond conditions and will remain jailed through the weekend
- Couple exposed after decades-long ruse using stolen IDs of dead babies
Recommendation
-
Love Actually Secrets That Will Be Perfect to You
-
Trump eyes radical immigration shift if elected in 2024, promising mass deportations and ideological screenings
-
Chicago father faces 30-year sentence for avenging son's murder in years-long gang war
-
Sale of federal oil and gas leases in Gulf of Mexico off again pending hearings on whale protections
-
Incredible animal moments: Watch farmer miraculously revive ailing chick, doctor saves shelter dogs
-
AP Week in Pictures: Global | Oct. 27 - Nov. 2, 2023
-
Nearly 100,000 Jeep Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer's recalled over faulty seat belts
-
Biden will host Americas summit that focuses on supply chains, migration and new investment