Roger Sweet, the toy designer credited with creating He-Man and helping launch the "Masters of the Universe" franchise, has been diagnosed with dementia, according to a public fundraising post by his wife.
In a GoFundMe message, Marlene Sweet said her husband is "now nearly 91 years old and sadly has dementia."
"His illness has continued to progress, and I have done all I can to take care of his needs at home," she wrote.
Roger Sweet, 90, now lives in a memory care facility, as his condition has worsened over the past several years. Marlene Sweet, who has been married to him for nearly 40 years, said the move followed a recent medical emergency.
"He recently went for a walk and returned much later than usual and very tired," she shared. "I discovered terrible bruising on his side and much disorientation, and when asked what happened he did not recall falling and getting this injury."
She said she took him to the emergency room, where he underwent four hours of testing before being admitted to the intensive care unit with two brain bleeds.
"The doctors consider him a high risk for falls and say he must use a walker, considering the dementia and brain bleeds, but he says he does not need it and continues to walk around in his confused state," she continued. "They decided he must live in a memory care facility, where he can be monitored and safe."
According to Marlene Sweet, he is now settled into the selected facility, though his mental decline has continued.
She said the cost of care is $10,200 per month and is not covered by their insurance. She created the GoFundMe campaign to help offset those expenses.
"It is devastating to see this happening," she admitted.
Roger Sweet is widely recognized in the toy industry for his role in developing He-Man alongside Mark Taylor. During a career at Mattel spanning nearly two decades in the 1970s and 1980s, Roger Sweet was credited with naming the character and pitching the original toy concept and prototype to the company in 1980.
He-Man officially launched in 1982 and became the centerpiece of the "Masters of the Universe" franchise, ScreenCrush reported. Over more than 40 years, the brand has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in toy revenue for Mattel.
A new live-action film, titled "Masters of the Universe," is scheduled for release in theaters on June 5.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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