Near the end of his life, the Columbo star found himself trapped in the throes of that terrible disease. This is one of the photos that was captured in Beverly Hills, during a dementia episode that saw him wander the streets in distress, claiming “he’d lost his car keys”.
Fortunately, friends eventually came to the rescue.
It’s a haunting photo though, a reminder of how the disease strips people of their dignity and even their personality, replacing it with a deep vulnerability that’s hard to observe. It’s not just that though — the photo is also sad because it was took by someone who valued getting a photo of a celebrity at their lowest, more than helping them. That lack of humanity is tragic in itself.
On the other hand, the photo is a powerful and salient reminder not to take our good years for granted, for none of us know what’s waiting for us tomorrow.
0 Comments