Phil Robertson is facing a difficult road with his health but has his family and faith supporting him.
On “Unashamed with the Robertson Family,” Phil’s son, Jase, initially broke the news to fans that his father has the “early stages of Alzheimer’s” and is “unable to sit down and have a conversation.”
“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’s struggling,” he continued.
His son, Willie Robertson, spoke with Fox News Digital by phone and clarified that Phil is “battling a lot of different things right now.”
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“He’s got a blood disorder, and then he’s got the mental issues that could be early [on-set] Alzheimer’s … and probably some ministrokes because of his blood,” Willie explained. “And so, it could be some stroke stuff happening, that has happened. So, we’re still checking on all that. But then he also has a back issue, he’s fractured his back and that’s where the pain’s at. So, he’s kind of battling many different things at the same time.”
Willie said that day-to-day, Phil’s back pain is the biggest issue impacting his overall well-being.
“Especially in any situation where he’s getting up from the seated position or laying position, [it’s] super stressful for him, too, and very painful,” he said.
“We’ve got several other things we’re looking at, trying some different medications. And, again, it’s a little bit more difficult with the pain issue, with the back, because that seems to dominate a lot of just his day-to-day is just from that, so we’re trying to get his back fixed up so that he can at least move around. We’re trying several different things. We’ve seen many doctors and [are] just getting the best care we can and best things that we can and trying to figure out what’s next.”
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The “Duck Dynasty” star didn’t share the specifics of the blood disorder but said it was causing his father to produce “too much blood,” making it thicker and potentially leading to the ministroke’s he’s had.
“It’s hard with the mental stuff,” Willie said. “It’s hard to determine exactly what these causes are, especially with early signs, it’s hard to determine brain damage from stroke or is that Alzheimer’s?”
He added, “I know that’s in their family. Other siblings he has have had some of the same type of things as well. This has happened with just about all of his siblings that have passed away.”
According to Willie, Phil also has an “enlarged spleen, which could be pushing on the stomach, and which could cause some of the appetite things.”
“He’s fractured his back and that’s where the pain’s at. So, he’s kind of battling many different things at the same time.”
On “Unashamed,” Jase shared that Phil was not “hungry at all” and has to “make himself eat.”
“There’s a couple of issues that we’re trying to get to the bottom of, which is maybe where some of that’s coming from. It could be the pain, but also with the blood disorder that has created some things that could be dealing with that as well,” Willie said.
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But the family is doing their best to feed their patriarch, and Willie revealed, “I just got a message from him for me to bring him more food. He seems to like my cooking.”
“I do hamburgers, I’ve done a couple crawfish dishes. I’ve done all kinds of things that I think he’s always liked and eaten in the past, I don’t know if it’s as good as mom’s, but, I’m doing my best,” the 52-year-old shared, adding that Phil isn’t able to “normally do what he normally does for his food.”
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The family has been able to stay on top of Phil’s health issues, seeking help when potential signs of Alzheimer’s first began.
“We noticed some of the issues, and so we started taking him up to the doctor and trying to check out what exactly was wrong,” Willie said.
“It’s hard to know whether someone’s just getting older and being forgetful or whether there’s actually some damage. And that’s just what we’ve been trying to figure out.”
Willie said that “some days are good and some days kind of aren’t so good” for Phil, but they try to “have the most normal conversations we can with him.”
“He still quotes the Bible and still talks about his faith in God, so I think that’s been comforting and something that he hasn’t lost yet.”
Phil’s wife and Willie’s mother, “Miss Kay,” is dealing with some of her own health issues stemming from a broken foot in the summer, affecting her mobility.
Willie said she wishes she could help more, but in the meantime, the couple of almost 60 years quietly spends their time together.
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“They’re both down there, in the same spot. They sit in their chairs and they’re doing the same thing. So, they’re keeping each other’s company for sure.”
Despite his condition, Phil is “as sharp as ever” when it comes to his faith and knowledge of the Bible.
“He goes right back to that, and so we find those are things that seem to comfort him,” Willie said. “He still quotes the Bible and still talks about his faith in God, so I think that’s been comforting and something that he hasn’t lost yet.
“He can’t speak like he used to and teach his class, and so he’s kind of taking a break from that and his podcast and stuff. But it’s still strong and vital to him, he just can’t always make the words and thoughts that I think that he wants to make.”
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Willie continued, “His faith is such an important part of his life. And life is short and temporary, and he’s always known that. And we’ve always had such an eternal perspective, really, on life itself. We’re not sad, we realize this is, you know, these are things that happen on this earth, and we deal with them.”
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And faith is helping the whole family through this difficult time.
“In these times, that’s where the faith component really steps up,” Willie said. “This is what we’re about, this is what he’s living for and for the hope that there’s something beyond. And so, and he’s definitely a testament to that, even where he’s at in life right now.”
He added, “But who knows? God could do some amazing things. I know there’s a lot of prayers going up. And so it wouldn’t surprise me if he has a turn and ends up doing great, so you just never know.”
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