“It’s a child. Do you want me to send the child out of the stadium?”
Jeff Bezos’ mom Jackie died of Lewy body dementia on Thursday, Aug. 14. She was 78.
The billionaire, who founded Amazon in 1994 and is currently the fourth-richest person in the world, according to Forbes, announced his mother’s death in an Instagram post on Thursday.
“She passed away today, surrounded by so many of us who loved her — her kids, grandkids, and my dad,” he wrote in the caption.
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“I know she felt our love in those final moments. We were all so lucky to be in her life. I hold her safe in my heart forever,” he continued.
Jeff Bezos praised his mother for the love she showed him and the rest of his family, despite becoming a mom at “the tender age of 17,” and for always giving “so much more than she ever asked for.”
“That couldn’t have been easy, but she made it all work,” he wrote in the post.
“She pounced on the job of loving me with ferocity, brought my amazing dad onto the team a few years later, and then added my sister and brother to her list of people to love, guard, and nourish,” he added.
“I love you, mom,” he concluded the post.
Jackie Bezos’ life story was shared on the front page of the Bezos Family Foundation’s website, which described her as a devoted wife, mom, grandmother and philanthropist.
Her and her husband, Miguel “Mike” Bezos, founded the organization with their family in 2000.
“A quiet final chapter to a life that taught all of us, friends and family alike, the true meaning of grit and determination, kindness, and service to others,” the foundation wrote of Jackie Bezos.
Jeff Bezos included screenshots of the post in his Instagram tribute. Lauren Sanchez, who he tied the knot with in June, shared the tribute to her Instagram Stories.
Jeff Bezos’ mom was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2020
According to the family foundation, Jackie Bezos died after a five-year battle with Lewy body dementia.
According to the National Institute on Aging, Lewy body dementia is “a complex and challenging brain disorder” that’s “associated with abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain.”
The deposits, known as Lewy bodies, affect chemicals in the brain and often “lead to problems with thinking, movement, behavior, mood, and other body functions,” per the institute.
Common Lewy body dementia symptoms include memory loss, confusion, hallucinations, depression, tremors, difficulty balancing and trouble falling asleep, per the Cleveland Clinic.
The disease affects roughly 1.4 million individuals in the United States, according to the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA).
It’s the “second most common form of degenerative dementia,” per the LBDA.
In its tribute, the Bezos Family Foundation wrote that Jackie Bezos battled the disease “with the same dignity and courage that shaped every aspect of her life.”
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“Although Jackie may be gone from our sight, her love remains with us always—a bright shining light that will never fade. She will be missed beyond words,” the foundation continued.
