Man with Alzheimer's overwhelmed by support after tearful plea goes viral

Alan “Beam” Beamer has Alzheimer’s, and he and his wife discovered that it can be a lonely world.

Beamer, 66, was an educator and athlete before being diagnosed with Alzheimer's two years ago, according to Global News.

After family members and friends stopped coming to visit or would only visit briefly, because they were uncomfortable with Alan’s behavior, Beamer’s wife Mary Beth recorded her husband’s tearful plea for companionship and posted it on Facebook.

In the emotional video, Alan says he knows people are afraid of him now, but that he still loves them, and that he wishes they would come over and stay for awhile. He stresses that he’s the “same old person, and I wish all of my friends could come up and just talk to me the same way they did before.”

Mary Beth also pleads with family and friends, saying on camera that, “You may not feel comfortable coming to see Alan, and it may break your heart, but if you truly loved him, and loved us, you could take a few minutes out of your day … to come see him.”

While the message was designed for family and friends, the Facebook post quickly went viral. The video has been viewed over 660,000 times, and the couple says they’ve received 8,000 Facebook friend requests from all over the world.

The video also has prompted some friends and family members to visit.