(lighthearted music)

- Taking care of an 84 yearold child, 24 hours a day.

That's how Richard Luidescribed caregiving

for his dad who has Alzheimer's.

It was the toughestassignment of his life.

So why did he put his five-star career

in news on hold to do it?

Just watch.

- [Narrator] Award-winningjournalist, Richard Lui

is a news anchor at MSNBC.

He's worked in television,film, technology

and business for more than 30 years.

Seven years ago, despitehis growing career,

Richard made a tough decisionafter his father was diagnosed

with Alzheimer's.

He chose to set his plans aside

and become a family caregiver.

- [Richard] Taking careof an 84 year old child,

24 hours a day, that's tough.

- [Narrator] In his book Enough About Me,

Richard shares storiesabout helping his father

during his illness and offerstips on how choosing others

over yourself can lead toa more satisfying life.

- And please welcome toThe 700 Club, Richard Lui.

Richard, welcome! It's good to see you.

- Yeah, good morning to youWendy, thanks for having me.

- Yeah, you had this dream job.

Tell us what happened seven years ago

when you walked into yoursupervisor's office at NBC?

- You know, the weirdestthing is you know Wendy is

I was thinking I'm gonna go in there

and ask my boss Yvette Miley,if I could be on air less,

that's not a typical requestfor us folks that are

in a broadcast journalism- No

- as you know.

So I thought, actually, she was gonna say

"We love you Richard, butat square peg round hole,

"you probably need to move on."

Instead she said, "I'm along distance caregiver too

"of my mother in Florida."

And so we then set outfor the next week or two

to come up with some ideas.

We then were able to pullthe trigger a year later

after I was about to think about it,

my father's conditionworsened, unfortunately,

but which is typical.

And then I started to workFriday, Saturday and Sundays

and what a selfless assistance and help

and action Yvette gaveto me to help me out.

- Because you were in New York

and your dad was in San Francisco, right?

You were flying back,how many times a month?

- You know, before COVID Wendy

I was flying back twoor three times a month

because as you know, with Alzheimer's

it starts to take awaythe everyday things,

walking and talking and eating.

And so the conditionsgot more and more severe.

My father was falling and so, yeah,

I was back there staying overnight

probably three nights on the couch

about three weeks out of a month.

It was a lot of miles, you're right.

- Incredible.

Richard, why was it so important to you

to care personally, for your father?

You could have hired somebody.

You were so far away, why did you do it?

- Well, you know, myfather had done so much

for me over my life.

There was just no way I would not be there

for that journey, you know?

And that not been easy forhim, certainly, he, you know,

out of seminary, became a youth pastor

and he had four kids,you know, family of six

and that was difficult for him,then became a social worker.

But despite, you know, all of that

and we were on food stamps

and part of welfare for awhile 'cause it got so bad,

but they never, ever, my parents,

never moved off center aboutwhat they wanted to do.

My mother being an elementaryschool teacher as well.

And so I knew that I wouldhave to do, I wanted to do it.

I want it to be there just ashe had been when I was a kid.

- Yeah and you talkabout that in your book

that when you were a kid you were bullied

and what did your dad do to help you?

- (laughing) Well, I don't know

how to tell the story Wendy.

It's kind of a funny onebecause I was being bullied

as a young, small Asian kidand I went home, I told my dad,

and so my dad sat on mybed as he typically did

before we'd go to sleep.

And I told him, you know,I was like, "You know, dad

"this is the situation."

And he said, "Well, youcan either defend yourself

"or you can, you know, justcontinue to be bullied."

Thought about it, two nightslater sitting by my bed.

I say, "Dad, I decidedI'm gonna defend myself."

And he said, "i got an idea,there's a new person at church

"and he's a Shaolin temple monk."

"And we can start KungFu lessons for you."

And I was thinking that is great, dad

I'm being called the Kung Fu kid

and now you're gonna giveme kung Fu lessons (laughs).

I was like, it was hilarious.

It worked though Wendyin the end, it did work.

- All right.

So you know Kung Fu well, okay.

- I did for a moment yeah.

(both laughing)

- Well, how was your daddoing today Richard tell us?

- Well, you know, when youasked and I really do stop

to think every time he gaineda pound, so he's a fatso,

he's 139, clearly he's not exercising.

I love that segment by the way.

But it is, it is reallya moment because he is,

he remains, we believe, happy.

We are worried that weare keeping him too long

because we haven't beenable to see him in a year.

I mean, the last time I visited him

and you've told the story, itwas through a glass window.

And normally the way Icould tell how he's doing is

by touching his hand or hisforehead and he would react.

And I could through a amplified headset

be able to say, "Hey dad, ifyou can hear me blink once."

And he would blink.

Now, I don't know Wendy'cause I haven't been able

to see him physically in a year.

- Ah, that just breaks my heart.

I know that that's got tojust be the worst part.

I mean, it seems likethey would allow you to

so you can look at him through the window

but that's just not the same, is it?

- No, it's not.

And so I feel the difficulty that

most Americans have beengoing through in a small way,

we all have been through this together.

And in my reporting, I tryto remember that compassion

and that difficulty in the stories told,

which I know that you've written upon

and how we bring that to our daily job.

But it has been tough

- Real quick.

You talk about the power ofselflessness in your new book

which you are obviouslyliving out beautifully.

How did denying yourselfto care for your father

empower you and how do youhope it will empower others?

- You know, it's very interesting when,

there are a lot of practicalways we can do it every day.

We make a decision, a consciousdecision every 15 minutes.

Why not think abouthow we can do something

for somebody else whenwe make that decision?

Whether it's walking down the block

or getting a sandwichor going to get a coffee

what can we do for somebodyelse at that moment?

Who can we meet that we maynot think we get along with,

we can do that.

And it's simple ways,

it's not in the MotherTeresa gargantuan idea,

you know, maybe of starting an orphanage.

So I do believe that I wouldnot have been writing this book

had it not been for this long distance

caregiving journey that I've been through.

And maybe my dad inside islaughing at me all the way

'cause he knows thatthis is what he's doing

and saying "I got you towrite the book, Richard.

"I Gotcha."(both laughing)

- No doubt about it.

And Richard, we can stillsee you on TV right?

Tell us when and where.

- That's right on the weekends, Saturday

and Sunday on MSNBC.

- Fantastic. Great talking to you.

Richard Lui's book iscalled Enough About Me.

I love the title and it'savailable wherever books are sold,

Richard God bless youand God bless your dad.

- Thank you, I appreciate you.

Thank you so much.