WRAL Documentary: Lo Lo

Her family affectionately calls 81-year old Lois Shoolbred "Lo Lo." For most of her life she was a dynamic and charismatic career woman, who worked in television and traveled the world organizing star-studded events with celebrities like Tony Bennett and Robert Plant.

Posted 12:04 a.m. Jun 6, 2011 — Updated 11:49 p.m. Jun 16, 2011

RALEIGH, N.C. — Her family affectionately calls 81-year old Lois Shoolbred “Lo Lo." For most of her life she was a dynamic and charismatic career woman, who worked in television and traveled the world organizing star-studded events with celebrities like Tony Bennett and Robert Plant.

Now Lo Lo is being ravished by Alzheimer’s, an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. Her family must now endure the pain of watching their beloved Lo Lo’s mind slip away.

Lo Lo’s son, Dave Simpson, invited WRAL News reporter Cullen Browder into his world to see the impact of Alzheimer’s on his mother and the rest of his family. The result is this half-hour documentary called “Lo Lo."

WRAL spent hours capturing intimate moments with Lo Lo and her family. The documentary shows the sadness of Lo Lo forgetting her own family members’ names, rambling incoherently and becoming confused, angry and agitated. It also reveals her family’s courage as they accept the consequences of this insidious disease and embrace Lo Lo’s struggle with laughter and love.

“Lo Lo” aired Thursday, June 16.

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