I know there are a lot of great causes out there – causes that you can dedicate time, resources, and volunteer power to support. Alzheimer’s has affected my family for many generations, including great-aunts, my grandfather, and now my mother.
The disease is slow-acting, and it affects not just the person, but their entire circle of friends and family, neighbors and co-workers. It’s painful and difficult to watch as someone you know and love slips away. We’ve heard stories about other generations before us; we watched it happen with my maternal grandfather almost two decades ago. The last time I saw him alive, we were visiting him in the nursing home. He couldn’t remember that my grandmother had visited him earlier that day, but he saw my peacoat and said, “That’s like what I used to wear in the Navy.”
Now this process has been going on for us for more than six years with my mother. What started as small warning signs have grown into full-time care. It affects us every day in some way, even as we’re living one state away. And we know we’re not alone in it. I’ve seen many friends talk about their family’s journey in relating to the disease, and in losing a loved one to it.
Did you know that Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States – and it’s a disease for which there is no known prevention or cure?
- 5.8 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s
- Every 65 seconds, someone in the United States develops the disease
- 1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia – it kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined
- Alzheimer’s is one of the most expensive diseases, with the long-term cost of care for an individual living with dementia being $350,174
We want to do our part to eliminate the disease, for the sake of our family, and the many families and generations affected by it. On Sunday, September 22, our family will be joining the Central Ohio Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Huntington Park.
It’s a family-friendly walk to honor both those with the disease and their caregivers, as well as fundraise for Alzheimer’s care, support, and research.
Want to get involved? You can sign up to participate in the walk (either in person or as a virtual walker) or contribute directly to the Team Breakfast With Nick page.
Please consider helping out our family – and those many families affected by Alzheimer’s – by supporting our walk!
