Thank you for visiting my fundraising page!

I am running to support the Alzheimer’s Association in the Chicago Marathon in 2023, because their vision directly aligns with my goal: to know a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia. I want my kids to know a world without the heartbreak that comes with this disease.

For those of you that don’t know, my dad was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s nearly 7 years ago. Alzheimer’s is a catch 22 when it comes to diagnoses. You’re thankful that all the MRIs, CT, spinal taps, blood work, genetic testing, and everything else under the sun came back negative. So you think it can't be that bad because nothing showed up on all these tests...RIGHT!?

Wrong. Alzheimer’s doesn’t care if you’re 54 years old, like my dad was at the time of diagnosis, or if you’re 104. It doesn’t care about how selfless of a person you are, it doesn’t care about all your plans, it doesn’t care about seeing your kids graduate, walking them down the aisle, or meeting your grandkids. It has its own agenda, and it’s unpredictable.

Over the last 7 years, I've watched my dad fight, and he continues to fight against this terrible disease to be here for all those events. However, despite the fight, I have watched all the qualities, interests, passions, and dreams that my dad once had, be smothered because of this disease. As the family, you’re stuck in a dilemma – do you continue to reorient them and share all your news with them, or do you meet them in their “reality”. The person you’ve know your whole life becomes a shell of what they were, trapped in their own body working against them. You want so badly for something to switch, to wake up from this dream. However, you realize that's not the case.

I am so proud of how my family has persevered through these challenges, all our identities and roles in our family have changed to some extent as we have assumed the role of “caregiver”. Despite all these challenges and tough days, there has also been a tremendous beauty and strength shown by mom to do what she does in being there for my dad. She truly encompasses the vows she took nearly 30 years ago, in vowing to love my dad “for better or worse” or “in sickness and in health”. Caregivers play such an important role for the person directly impacted by Alzheimer's and support systems can significantly impact their prognosis. 

The Alzheimer’s Association has also been a resource for not only my family but the families of nearly 6 million Americans with Alzheimer’s disease. From the sense of community to the support programs and funding research to further the treatment, prevention and cure for this terrible disease, the Alzheimer’s Association is there for the patient. The Alzheimer’s Association also cares for the whole family to provide support and help, related to how to provide the care their loved one needs, stages of the disease, care options, safety, and planning resources.

It is predicted that by 2050, the number of people living with Alzheimer’s will rise to nearly 13 million. This seems like forever away, however the reality is those of us born in the 1990s will be under 60 years old. Let that sink in… It’s time we END ALZ.