All My Children

David Canary’s Daughter Raises Question If Repeated Head Traumas From His Football Past Contributed To AMC Star’s Condition Before His Death

January 14, 2019

Photo: ABC

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive degenerative brain disease that is now widely known to be the outcome of repeated head traumas, concussions and more for many NFL athletes, Pro Wrestlers, hockey players and more It has caused mental illness, severe behavioral changes and more in younger athletes to even old-timers, many who suffer unaware what is happening to them. Some athletes who have committed suicide have been later to have been diagnosed with CTE when their brains were donated to research.

Kate Canary, the daughter of All My Children’s beloved and late, David Canary (Adam/Stuart Chandler), is a contributing writer to the New York Daily News, and she wrote a heartfelt, and thought-provoking article, on just what happened to this icon, who died in 2015 at the age of 77 with his formal diagnosis being Alzheimer’s disease.

However, David’s earlier football past as a high school and college football player could very well been the reason why he suffered so many years before, and as Kate related here in these excerpts: “But this diagnosis came after years of suffering with Dad’s cognitive decline, and arguably decades of signs. Without exposing the most excruciating details of a disease that could extinguish the most vibrant of men, I can confess that his case was anything but typical. We lost him in fits and starts, over and over, for roughly seven years leading up to his final breath. Begrudgingly, we learned to lie to him — ‘entering his world,’ as my brother Chris so delicately deemed it — to skirt the contradictory truths that would trigger his outbursts, which left physical scars on objects, on himself, and on others. We knew many families who had faced Alzheimer’s, yet we were the only ones uttering the comparison ‘Jekyll and Hyde. Those closest to Dad witnessed firsthand the erratic, delusional and at times explosive episodes that characterized his particular case, which we tried attributing to an overactive imagination in a broken brain. But as more information emerges about CTE and the nature of its symptoms — the violent mood swings, the lapses in judgment, the hours-long hallucinations, the paranoid delusions — we are left with more questions than answers, more regret than relief.”

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Kate goes on to state the facts that David Canary suffered at least four major concussions as a lineman in his high school and college football playing days between the ages of 16 and 22, (she also relates that those are the ones he remembered). She also notes the multi-Daytime Emmy winning star has experienced cognitive difficulties decades before his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and that there was no genetic lineage that the family knew of that would you would often find with Alzheimer’s patients. She also noted that David’s volatility was unusual for a patient suffering from this disease, which leads us all back to CTE.

In the end a loving daughter asks the questions, “Did football kill my father?” Kate was on the verge of looking into a way to donate David’s brain to science, but sadly he passed away eight weeks later in November of 2015.

The upshot is that when mothers and fathers allow their kids to play football or other-related sports at an early age were concussions are a possibly or involved, think again, you could be changing the course of their lives forever.

So, what did you think of what Kate shared about David Canary’s mental health and condition? It would seem CTE could have been the root cause of what befell this giant of a man in the daytime soap world. Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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Related Topics:Adam/Stuart Chandler All My Children Alzheimer's Disease CTE David Canary Featured Kate Canary

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nancy dillingham

So sad! A great actor who seemed like a gentle man.

Iakovos

Real life is always such a fascinating story. I hate to think Mr. Canary and his family suffered so in his final years. Serious issues like this affect many families. Seems fitting a daytime drama might address such in a story line one day. Bless you Ms. Canary for sharing your personal truth with us. I am sure you comforted some, informed others, and hopefully woke up those who have the power and ability to do something about this.

Jimh

When one of the Three Stooges died it was believed to have been caused by being hit in the head over the years from their constant head hitting in their sketches…injuries of any kind to the head should always being taken seriously as they are the most dangerous…i believe its possible that those injuries DC suffered contributed later to his medical problems/death!!!

Llanviewer717

Such a very sad story. I could tell he wasn’t well during the online AMC. He was seated during most of his scenes and had little dialogue. When he did speak, you could tell he was putting maximum effort into his lines. Alzheimer’s is such a devastating disease. My mother died of it many years ago. (I doubt she ever played football.) Perhaps it’s time to reconsider violent sports.

Thank you David Canary for sharing your marvelous talent with us. Rest in peace.

sheila nies

I know my dad had Alzheimer’s, it was awful he also was a diabetic 2 times the people over dsed him on his insulin once they took him to the hospital the other time they didn’t. I think to many people get it and at times he wouldn’t remember who we were . Other times he did . i wish there was a cure for cancer and Alzheimers. i think they are both awful i hope i don’t get Alzheimers . My memory is already bad and has been bad a long time lose everything for things forget peoples names .

Cat

My mom died from Alzheimer’s disease with no family history of it anywhere. She too suffered a terrible head trauma from a bad fall that left her unconscious and with blood loss and a scar that ran the length of the front hairline. I’d read of the head trauma connection after she passed and have always wondered if that head injury lead ultimately to her demise.

Ken Bass

What a sad story! Had no idea of his struggles! Was it towards the end (7yrs) or all through his life! I’m a big fan and may he RIP

All My Children

Kelly Ripa Reveals How Her Son Chose NYU Due To The Consuelos Connection To Former Soap EP/ Director, Chris Goutman

October 27, 2019

Last week on an episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan, the former star of All My Children, Kelly Ripa (Ex-Hayley) told Ryan Seacrest how a chance meeting when her son, Michael was deciding where to go to college; between her, Michael, and Chris Goutman (Ex-Executive Producer As the World Turns and former director, All My Children) changed the course of Michael’s creative and academic path.

Turns out that Goutman is now working over at NYU’s Tisch School for the Arts as an assistant professor and academic director.

During their banter on the talk show, Kelly revealed that Goutman directed the screen-test that landed Mark Consuelos the role of Mateo on All My Children, and thus how Ripa met her real-live enduring lovematch.

Ripa explained that Michael was waiting for a sign as to which college to go to as he liked most of the places he saw. Then came the sign as Ripa explained to Seacrest: “We’re walking down the hallway and I hear a voice I know say, ‘Consuelos!’ “He turns around and I see Chris Goutman, who was our director at All My Children … I worked with him for 11 years.”

Ripa says Chris then expressed to Michael: “You have to come here, because I am the reason you literally exist.”

Photo: JPI

Ripa is reportedly also working on a film for the class, as well. Watch what Kelly shared below.

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Then let us know your thoughts on the story Kelly told via the comment section below.

All My Children

Y&R, AMC and GL Alum, Jeff Branson Featured In New AppleTV+ Drama, ‘For All Mankind’

October 24, 2019

Daytime Emmy winner, Jeff Branson is featured in a new drama coming your way on the new AppleTV+ platform. Branson takes on the role of famous astronaut Neil Armstrong in For All Mankind.

At the epicenter of the story is NASA and the Soviet space program as they square off in the space race of the 1970s. But this has a twist, America has lost the race and tensions boil over between the two nations.

The main focus in the series is the lives of the astronauts and the personal and professional relationships they encounter. For All Mankind presents an aspirational world where NASA and the space program remained a priority and a focal point of our hopes and dreams.

Branson is fondly remembered in soapland for his performances as Ronan Malloy on The Young and the Restless, Jonathan Randall on All My Children, and Shayne Lewis on Guiding Light.

For All Mankind is created by Emmy Award winner Ronald D. Moore (Outlander, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica), Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi.

In addition to Branson the cast includes: Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Wrenn Schmidt, Shantel VanSanten, Sarah Jones and Jodi Balfour. General Hospital’s Jason David (Aiden Spencer) also appears in the series.

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The first season streams on on AppleTV+ beginning on November 1st, with the second season of the series “all systems go”.

Watch the teaser for the series and interviews with some of the cast including: what Branson had to share about playing Neil Armstrong below.

Then let us know, would you love to see Jeff back on the soaps? Will you be checking out the new streaming service featuring For All Mankind and check out Jeff’s performances? Comment below.

All My Children

TODAY: ‘Tainted Dreams’ Begins To Stream Episodes On PopStar! TV Platform

September 23, 2019

Beginning today on Monday, September 23rd, the series Tainted Dreams, which shows you the behind-the-scenes antics of a fictional hit TV soap opera, will stream its first two seasons for free on the on the Popstar! TV platforms.

To view: you can download the Popstar! TV’s mobile app or visit www.popstaronline.com to watch Tainted Dreams or for more info visit https://www.tainteddreams.com/#home-section.

For those who need a refresher: Tainted Dreams follows the cast and crew behind the scenes of a hit TV soap opera called “Painted Dreams”, and of course, it’s filled with lots of twists and turns

In addition, there is a bonus episode on Popstar! TV that gives some background on how all the characters came to be a part of “Painted Dreams”.

Courtesy: NYCBrandEnt

Sonia Blangiardo, the executive producer and creator of Tainted Dreams shared in a statement: “We are thrilled that there is more life for the show and that the new exposure will attract new viewers for the series. We’re excited to be in great company with the other shows the platform will be streaming and couldn’t be happier to be working with Craig and Jim Romanovich who has always been a loyal soap supporter.”

Tainted Dreams features a cast that includes: All My Children veterans Alicia Minshew, Walt Willey, Michael Lowry, Bobbie Eakes, Terri Ivens and the late Larkin Malloy, General Hospital’s Natalia Livingston, As the World Turns‘ Colleen Zenk, Austin Peck, Marnie Schulenburg and Kelley Menighan, Guiding Light’s Grant Aleksander, One Life to Live’s Ilene Kristen, Tonja Walker, Nathan Purdee and James DePaiva, Big Brother’s Jessie Godderz, The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Dina Manzo, and more.