Health and Disability

lanna Shaikh makes it her business to tackle the world’s most pressing health issues — from HIV/AIDS to the diminishing effectiveness of antibiotics. But when her father developed Alzheimer’s disease, she found herself face to face with an illness she had never deeply considered. Watching him struggle — and understanding that the genetic odds mean that she, too, could develop the disease — Shaikh resolved to prepare for it in concrete ways: by improving her physical condition, cultivating Alzheimer’s friendly hobbies, and becoming a better person.

Shaikh spoke about her experiences at the TED conference, and to her surprise, the talk (watch: “How I’m preparing to get Alzheimer’s,” above) hit a nerve and became among TED’s most popular. In this Q&A, Shaikh talks about the relationship between kindness and healing, how she now views dementia through the lens of public health, and how to live an enjoyable life in the present while planning for the future.

What succeeded, weirdly enough, is I honestly think I am a better person. By deliberately choosing to be kind over and over again, it seems to now come naturally to me.

What were you like before?

Very judgmental and critical. I was committed to being a good person, but I wasn’t particularly worried about being a nice person. One of my friends in college told me that his favorite thing about me was I always had something bitchy to say about someone. This is someone who loves me — he meant it as a positive. I don’t think anybody who’s known me in the last couple of years would say that now. Dealing with my dad made me realize how much nice actually matters. And kindness. I had never really thought about what kindness and niceness have to do with each other.