About Mike Oliver
Note: Mike Madness honors award-winning journalist Mike Oliver, who was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in 2016. Mike attended every previous Mike Madness, but passed away on March 4, 2024.
100% of money received through Mike Madness is donated to fund research and promote awareness of Lewy Body Dementia.
I’m Mike Oliver and I have a degenerative brain disease called Lewy body dementia. There’s no cure. It shortens my life span as excess proteins in my head slowly smother my brain neurons. It probably will not be a pretty end, but I’m hoping, while I can, to build awareness and raise research funds for this complex and often misdiagnosed disease.
I’m married to my high school sweetheart, Catherine, and have three wonderful (grown) daughters, Hannah, Emily and Claire, and a dog, Gus, a smallish rust colored psychodoodle who thinks he’s a person.
I’ve been a professional writer and editor at various newspapers (remember them?) for decades and recently retired from AL.com.
I played pick-up basketball for 35 years of my adult life – and just this year, started cheering from the sidelines. I’m both humbled and proud that my friends and colleagues put together a 3X3 basketball tournament called Mike Madness to raise money and awareness for LBD. We have no paid staff or overhead so nearly every penny goes to research at UAB and the Lewy Body Dementia Association which are working hard to raise awareness of this disease.
In addition to Mike Madness and articles on al.com, I also write a blog called My Vinyl Countdown, where I’m counting down my 678 vinyl record albums (remember them?). I’m reviewing each album, sharing some interesting stories about them, and talking about what I’m feeling as my disease progresses.
I invite you to join us in raising money to find a cure by participating in or sponsoring the 6th annual Mike Madness tournament and music-filled after-party in Birmingham, AL on August 10, 2024.
Read more about Mike and Lewy Body Dementia here.
In his own words, Lewy Body Dementia is “like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's combined.”