Dr. Oz Did Not Want to Believe His Mom Had Alzheimer’s, He's Now Her Caregiver & Fears She’ll Forget Him

• Dr. Oz once grew to fame as a celebrity heart surgeon on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "The Dr. Oz Show."
• In recent years, Dr. Oz has faced several challenges. He lost his dad, and a month later, his mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
• Now, he cares for his aging mom, fearing she'd forget about him.

Mehmet Cengiz Oz, more popularly known as Dr. Oz, is a Turkish-American surgeon from Wilmington, Delaware. He and his family lived in the state due to his father, who was a thoracic surgeon.

After years of working as a doctor at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York and the Columbia University Medical Center, Dr. Oz became the latter's hospital director for complementary medicine in 2001. That same year, he became a surgery professor at Columbia University.

In 2003, he launched a TV show called "Second Opinion With Dr. Oz," wherein he gave medical advice to his guests. His guests included Magic Johnson, Quincy Jones, Charlie Sheen, Oprah Winfrey, and Patti LaBelle.

Two years later, Oz wrote "YOU: The Owner's Manual," a book that led him to appear on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," where he became a regular guest on the program.

His constant appearance on the show gave him the nickname "America's Doctor." Thanks to his popularity, he released several more successful books under the "YOU" series in subsequent years.

He soon launched a daily radio talk show where he would provide health advice to listeners. In 2009, he was given a TV series called "The Dr. Oz. Show," where he'd speak on several health topics.

In 2014, Dr. Oz's claims began receiving criticism from experts. A study claimed that 54% of his recommendations were contradictory and lacked scientific evidence. Dr. Oz defended himself through his right to free speech.

His show aired until 2022, after over a decade on the air. Ultimately, he dropped the show to run for Senate in Pennsylvania. He lost the election.

His Parents' Health Woes

2019 was a challenging year for the doctor, who mourned the loss of his dad at 93. His dad suffered from kidney failure and was being treated at a hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, at the time of his death.

Dr. Oz credited his father for igniting his love for medicine. He had his dad to look up to and thank for his craft He said:

"I fell in love with medicine after witnessing my dad do sometimes painful procedures on desperately sick patients who subsequently thanked him for saving their lives."

A month later, Dr. Oz suffered another blow when he discovered that his mother, Suna, had Alzheimer's. The well-known surgeon couldn't help but feel mad at himself for not recognizing the signs.

He refused to believe that his mom's symptoms were Alzheimer's and instead shrugged it off as being part of aging. "It was so painful to admit that my mother's health was declining, but doing so allowed us to get her help as soon as possible," he said.

After his dad's death, Dr. Oz and his sisters realized their mom was acting differently. She struggled with her words and could not style her clothes properly like she used to.

Suna also became irrational at one point, which wasn't to be confused with her alleged stubbornness since she was younger. It was then that they decided to take her to the hospital, where they confirmed her diagnosis.

Dr. Oz Looks After Mom from Afar

Dr. Oz's mom resides in Turkey with the surgeon's sister. Despite being away from her, he continues to care for her from afar and coordinates with his sister on what he believes is best for their mother.

Suna's Alzheimer's hasn't gotten to a point where she no longer recognizes her children. Suna remembers her son, daughters, and everyone close to her. She even remembers her late husband and mentions him daily.

Dr. Oz makes sure to talk to her daily, reminding her of things he thinks are important in her journey. He also tries to spend as much time with her through the phone, especially now that her condition hasn't progressed.

The celebrity surgeon constantly updates his fans about his mother's condition through social media. He revealed that while his mom hasn't gotten better, she hasn't gotten worse.

Although Suna recognizes her family members, she has had trouble comprehending certain situations. When Dr. Oz's eldest daughter Daphne gave birth, Suna knew who Daphne was but had difficulty processing that Daphne gave birth.

Besides caring for his mom, Dr. Oz also makes an effort to remember all the special days involving his parents. In a touching tribute back in 2021, he celebrated what would have been his parents' 62nd anniversary.

"My mother still mentions him every day—even with her Alzheimer's," he said at the time. Dr. Oz couldn't help but look back at his parents' inspiring journey of moving to the US in hopes of a better life for their family.

Through it all, Dr. Oz has chosen to see the bright side of things. The surgeon continues to work as a doctor and cares for his wife, children, and grandchildren.

Dr. Oz is a doting grandfather to four grandchildren, kids of his eldest daughter Daphne. He has been married to Lisa Oz since 1985, and together they share Daphne, Oliver Mustafa, Zoe Yasemin, and Arabella Sezen.