Dear family, friends, and loved ones,

As many of you know, my vibrant, brilliant, effervescent, joyful, soulful, beautiful mom, the incomparable Jennifer Cressy Deane, continues to live with Alzheimer's disease. I won't sugar-coat it - it's a terribly sad and difficult illness, and it gets harder every day. Yet my mom - always the life of the party, the quickest wit, and the kindest person in the room - wakes up every day and puts one foot in front of the other with grace beyond belief. If you know her, you just know. 

This year, my brother Kyle Deane, his wife Claire Deane, Claire’s brother Josh Higginbotham, and I have joined forces to raise support for the Alzheimer's Foundation, so we can finally bid adieu to this illness. We are asking for your help. 

Alzheimer's of course affects our entire family, but our inspirational, faithful, spirit-of-the-servant dad, Steve Deane, experiences its impact 24 hours a day, every day. He cares for and loves our mom with all he has, in the way that all of us deserve. And we are so fortunate to have loving and kind caretakers – Kim, Carol, and Terri – who bring joy to our parents’ lives each day.

Kyle, Claire, Josh, and I are running the Chicago Marathon on October 8th.  We are running for both of our parents. They are remarkable. But we truly hope that, with the support of people like you, we can find a cure for this disease in our lifetime - and in the meantime provide support for the superhero caregivers among us. 

We would be so grateful for your support in this effort - our goal is to raise at least $6,000 for this wonderful organization, and in honor of our parents. You can make a contribution here - it's quick, easy, and secure. 

Thank you so much for your support and love!

Angie