The Robertson family became a household name when their reality show, Duck Dynasty, premiered on A&E in 2012.
The show featured the Robertson family, including its patriarch Phil Robertson, his wife Kay Robertson, and their kids and grandkids, including Sadie Robertson, who has since made a name for herself on social media.
On Dec. 6, one of Phil and Kay Robertson’s sons, Jase Robertson revealed that Phil Robertson is “not doing well.”
During an episode of their “Unashamed” podcast, Jase Robertson revealed that it took some time for his father to receive a diagnosis.
“According to the doctors, they’re sure he has some sort of blood disease causing all kinds of problems,” Jase Robertson continued. “It’s like accelerated, and it’s causing problems with his entire body. And he has early stages of Alzheimer’s.”
“So, if you put those things together, he’s really not doing well,” he continued. “He’s really struggling.”
Now, Sadie Robertson is sharing a statement of her own after the diagnosis was made public.
“Seeing all of the articles go out yesterday about my grandpa’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis has kept my tears flowing… something about it being public makes it even more real,” she began.
“I’ve been thinking today about our life being so public…. In moments like this, it can feel overwhelming for such bad news to be such public news. But you know what? I’m genuinely so thankful my family chose to make our life public because of how incredible it is that so many people know my grandpa!”
Sadie Robertson continued saying that thanks to their former reality show, “y’all got to see the way he lived his life! I’m so glad that so many people have been able to learn from his faith and his love for his family.”
“I’m so proud to be his granddaughter,” she wrote. “I’m so proud to have learned how to love the word, honor the word, and teach the word from him. I’m so glad that I grew up in a family where it was completely normal for strangers to have a meal in our home, and get baptized in the river before they left because to Papaw Phil that was just natural!”
“There are a lot of people I look up to in ministry, but I wanted to post this picture of me literally looking up to Papaw Phil because as ‘impressive’ as his ministry has become in that he has spoken to millions and millions… the most impressionable thing to me was how he ministered to every single person who stepped in his door and sat on the couch beside his iconic chair.”
Sadie, who is now a mom of two herself, wrote that she is “sad for the days we are in, but grateful for the days we’ve had.”
“I’m thankful we filmed a whole tv (show) together of memories. I’ve never rewatched Duck Dynasty until now, and its really special in a whole new way to me. Thank you all for the prayers!”
