In 1967, Kondracke married
Millicent Martinez, a half
Jewish, half
Mexican liberal activist. They had two children, filmmaker
Alexandra and
Andrea, now a medical doctor. Kondracke battled alcoholism during the
1980s, and he credits Millicent for helping him end his addiction by
1987. In
1988, Millicent was diagnosed with
Parkinson's disease. Her long battle with the disease led Kondracke to become an advocate for
Parkinson's research and for increased government spending on medical research. Millicent Kondracke grew increasingly incapacitated by the disease and died on
July 22, 2004.
Kondracke detailed his family's struggle with Parkinson's in a
2001 book called
Saving Milly:
Love, Politics, and
Parkinson's Disease (
ISBN 0-345-45197-X). The book was the basis of a
CBS television movie called Saving Milly, starring
Madeleine Stowe and
Bruce Greenwood, which aired March 13,
2005.
On May 6,
2006, Kondracke married
Marguerite Sallee,
CEO of
America's Promise.[7] He is a trustee of
Dartmouth College, a board member of the Parkinson's
Action Network and a member of the
Founders Council of the
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's
Research.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton_Kondracke
Saving Milly is a 2005
American drama television film stars Madeleine Stowe and Bruce Greenwood, which first aired on
CBS on March 13, 2005. It is an
adaptation of
Morton Kondracke's nonfiction book of the same name.
Madeleine Stowe and Bruce Greenwood star in this drama based on the best-selling book and real-life journey of political journalist
Mort Kondracke. The movie recounts his inspiring love story with his activist wife,
Milly, and the dramatic change in their lives in the years after she is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
As a young journalist in
Chicago in the '60s, Mort Kondracke envisioned marrying a Vassar graduate whose status would facilitate his goal of becoming a top
Washington journalist. His calculated plans go awry when he meets and marries Milly Martinez, a brash part-Mexican, part-Catholic, part-Jewish liberal activist who captures his heart. In
Washington, D.C., the loving, strong-willed partners build a passionate and volatile marriage while debating everything from politics to how to raise their two daughters as well as her insatiable, all-consuming desire to save the world by championing a never-ending list of causes—all overshadowed by Mort's struggle with alcoholism.
In 1987, their lives take a dramatic turn when Milly notices a change in her handwriting and a numbness in her fingers. After a series of tests, her worst fears are confirmed and, at the age of 47, Milly is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
Holding to his promise of "in sickness and in health," Mort changes his focus from being a die-hard careerist to becoming a devoted caregiver and Parkinson's advocate and the love between the couple grows stronger. As her illness progresses, his life becomes committed to saving Milly."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saving_Milly
- published: 08 Aug 2015
- views: 382