After 8 years of struggling with Alzheimer's, my mom passed away in May of 2020. I am thankful that she was a positive and happy light until the end, and I miss her dearly. This year, I walk in memory of her. She's inspired me for my entire life and her legacy will continue to do so.

I feel that there isn't a lot of awareness in public about the Alzheimer's. Society is catered to a young, fast-paced life, and that's really hard to keep up with if you have Alzheimer's.

I am making it my goal to spread the word about Alzheimer's. I know that I probably have more of a chance of getting it than other people might; not only did my mom have it, my maternal grandma did too. I also know that Alzheimer's is a minimal concern for most people my age. However, this is a very real disease that affects too many people, and something needs to be done about it. Predictions say that the number of people with Alzheimer's will drastically increase in the next 20-30 years.

The Alzheimer's Association has tremendously helped my family - from providing resources, to helping us at support groups, to even recommending a doctor for my mom to see, and helped advise us when mom transitioned to memory care. They have been with us every step of the way. In fact, I have become so passionate about the cause that I have grown professionally and am now a Certified Dementia Practitioner, and have worked in the senior care industry for about 6 or 7 years. The Alzheimer's Association has helped me prepare for this career path. Any support for them furthers the chance of finding prevention, treatment, and a cure (of which there are currently none). Let's put an end to Alzheimer's!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jjEveYjwjg