Anthony Geiser worked as a nurse for 14 years before becoming a photographer. He lives in Broomfield, Colorado. This image, as well as the one on this month's cover, is from his series of photographs depicting people with Alzheimer disease.
About this photograph Geiser says, "Jane used to love to paint. She and her husband, Donald, had been traveling, visiting national parks where Jane would paint landscapes, until the progression of her disease ended their trip. Now Jane is semicomatose, spending her days indoors either in a padded, reclining chair or in bed. She can no longer talk or perform any of the activities of daily life, never mind paint. Occasionally her eyes will wander around the room or she'll make an incoherent noise, but she's just a shadow of who she used to be.
"Donald is at Jane's side twice a day, sitting and talking to her, feeding her, or just holding her. Donald has heart-related problems and has undergone several operations. His physicians tell him repeatedly that he's ruining his health by devoting so much time and effort to Jane. His response is always the same: 'You just make sure I live one day longer than she does.'
"I talk to Donald frequently. One day I told him his devotion to Jane was amazing. He said simply, 'She'd do the same for me. I love her.'" For more about Geiser's work, see On the Cover, page 50. Contact artist: [email protected].