Chris Fabry Live

Ed Shaw

Edward G. Shaw, M.D., M.A., is dually trained as a physician and mental health counselor. He was the primary care partner for his late wife, Rebecca, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2008 at age 53 and died in 2016 after a 9-year journey. He was a practicing radiation oncologist for 23 years.

In 2010, inspired by Rebecca's journey, his medical interest shifted to dementia diagnosis and treatment, and with his additional training in mental health counseling, he founded the Memory Counseling Program that is now part of Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, N.C. His moving personal story of caring for his wife, coupled with his innovative use of the five love languages in dementia counseling, inspired the central message of Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade, coauthored with Dr. Gary Chapman and Deborah Barr. He is also the author of The Dementia Care Partner’s Workbook and A Leader’s Manual for Dementia Care-Partner Support Groups. He resides in Winston-Salem, N.C., with his wife Claire, who was an Alzheimer’s caregiver for her late husband, Jim. They have four adult children and four grandchildren.