Sandra Gellert

Kathy Ehrlich

Dr. Diana L Abel

The Gordon Abel Family, originating from central Nebraska, but making Arizona their familial home since 1964 suffers from Alzheimer's and other neurological disorders. The first known member of our family to suffer and pass away from this disease was my husband's father, Gordon, in 1992. Gordon's sisters also suffered from the disease or from other neurological diseases, which ultimately took their lives, too.

And now the next generation has fallen to this insidious disease. Gordon's second son, David - my husband - has recently been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. Diagnosed at the age of 58, my husband is too "young" to be "old."

It is our family's goal to honor my husband as he fights to maintain his dignity and to preserve a quality of life as he takes this journey. Additionally we want to honor the memory of his father and his aunt as testimony to those who have gone before.

We have a beautiful 8 year-old granddaughter.......it is our hope that any funds we and others may contribute to the Alzheimer's Association and used to support the exciting research in the race to find a cure for this terrible disease might enable my husband to watch his granddaughter graduate from high school and college and be present at her wedding......events that Alzheimer's took from my father-in-law who was too ill to even recognize our children and who died before they accomplished most of these life milestones.

We would like to extend a special thank you to friends and family who make contributions in honor of David and in memory of his father, Gordon.