“I’m Donna. I know everything.” That iconic declaration defined Sarah Rafferty’s beloved character, Donna Paulsen, on the hit television series Suits.

Yet, when it comes to human neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), that level of certainty eludes everyone. Significant gaps remain in our scientific understanding of brain health, and many people are unaware of the breakthroughs researchers have achieved over the past twenty years. Rafferty, however, is determined to change that narrative. Medical science has advanced considerably since her grandmother received an AD diagnosis in the early 2000s.

Reflecting on her family's journey, Rafferty shared, “My father was my grandmother’s primary caretaker, and then very, very shortly after we lost her, he was diagnosed [with AD in 2017].” She recalled, “It was just such a different time than it is now. We really didn’t have a lot of options for either of their care.”

The Shift From Silence to Open Dialogue About Brain Health

At the turn of the century, an added layer of distress came from the societal tendency to keep Alzheimer's diagnoses hidden. “It felt like it was hush hush, that it wasn’t something we could really talk about,” she lamented, adding, “I think it was a more awkward time to talk about memory and thinking issues when they would come up. It felt like the environment was to kind of look past those things.”

Fortunately, the past decade has sparked a concerted movement to shatter that silence. Rafferty has actively participated in these advocacy spaces, explaining, “It’s very scary to have seen my grandmother and then my father go through this, and I have kids. I also really do see this as [being] personal.” She continued, “And now, I know that brain health is something that I’ve been talking about for well over a decade.”

The landscape has transformed largely due to accelerated medical research and clinical innovations. “I think what’s so different about today is that there are more treatment options, and we also understand so much more about prevention,” Rafferty noted. In short, modern medicine offers far more proactive measures, particularly when cognitive decline is caught early.

Recognizing Early Warning Signs in Loved Ones

Drawing on the analytical wisdom of her former character—who once remarked, “Sometimes bitter memories become bittersweet when you share them”—Rafferty reflected on subtle early indicators that became glaringly obvious in hindsight. “There’s many of the things that we know about like misplacing keys or forgetting appointments, things like that,” Rafferty recalled. “But then, I would say the escalation, which were really some of the changes in personality when, for example, my father just didn’t seem like himself.”

She recounted a deeply unsettling episode when her family was driving home “from a place where we very frequently had had dinner. I was driving in a separate car from my dad, with my husband, and my dad was following us, and he got lost.” She added, “It was alarming and upsetting because he got lost in an area where we lived for 30, 40 years.”

Rafferty also carries “really tough memories” regarding her grandmother “around the moments when I realized that she didn’t know who I was,” despite their profound closeness. Following her grandmother's passing, Rafferty sorted through her belongings and uncovered a photograph of the two standing in Times Square. On the back, her grandmother had carefully written the date and Rafferty’s name. A similar discovery surfaced after an opening night performance at the Roundabout Theater, where her grandmother had jotted down the play's title.

Those hidden notes delivered a poignant revelation. “It was only then that I realized that there were all these signs that maybe we were missing because we didn’t live with her that she was taking notes,” Rafferty recalled. “She felt that her memory was fading, and she was doing everything she could to hold on, and it kind of breaks my heart to think about it.”

These experiences underscore the vital importance of checking in on aging relatives and identifying hidden struggles. As another famous Donna line from Suits puts it, “I know people better than they know themselves.” Family members are often positioned to spot cognitive shifts before the individual acknowledges them.

Championing Awareness, Funding, and Treatment Innovation

To combat the stigma surrounding Alzheimer's, Rafferty has dedicated her platform to amplifying awareness and supporting research. Channeling another memorable TV quote—“What happened? Do you want to talk about it? I have ice cream!”—she emphasizes that breaking the silence is essential to secure research funding, eliminate stigma, and support exhausted caregivers.

This mission involves “proactive conversations with your doctor, if you’re starting to recognize memory or thinking issues in yourself or a loved one, talk to your doctor about your options, because we do now know that acting early really, really makes a difference.” She stressed that this vigilance is particularly critical for women, who face a disproportionately higher risk of developing AD.

Preventative lifestyle adjustments can also help slow cognitive decline. Recommended strategies include regular physical exercise, brain-healthy nutritional choices, smoking cessation, alcohol moderation, quality sleep hygiene, effective stress management, and maintaining robust social and mental engagement. Medical interventions—such as managing hypertension, treating hearing loss, and preventing head trauma—also play a crucial protective role.

Furthermore, therapeutic options have evolved to include medications that target symptoms and disease progression. Traditional pharmaceuticals like memantine help regulate neurotransmitters, while monoclonal antibody treatments such as lecanemab and donanemab are designed to clear neurotoxic amyloid plaques. Rafferty has partnered with Eli Lilly, manufacturer of donanemab (branded as Kisunla), to promote early symptom recognition and modern therapeutic pathways.

Accelerating these medical breakthroughs requires sustained financial backing for scientific research. “I’ve been a part of hosting events to raise funds for research,” Rafferty stated. “I’ve joined organizations to talk to Congress about caregivers, and I’ve been pretty passionate about talking about preventative issues around brain health.”

Balancing Family Advocacy and Screen Roles

Today, Rafferty balances her advocacy work—including supporting her mother, who acts as her father's primary caregiver—with a thriving acting career. She currently stars in the Netflix young adult family drama “My Life with the Walter Boys.”

Describing the project, she shared, “It’s a YA show. It’s a family show. It takes place in Colorado, so it’s about a big family that lives on a ranch, so it’s beautiful vistas, and it’s really a show about family and belonging, and being a teenager, and coming of age, and feeling like a fish out of water, and I get to play the mom to many children.”

This chapter of Rafferty’s life differs vastly from the scripted confidence of her days playing Donna. Yet, much like her legendary character, Rafferty continues to lead with sharp intellect, deep empathy, and an unwavering focus on the complexities of the human mind.