It still does't seem real that Kevin is gone. I miss his presence, his voice, his smile, his laugh. The world keeps spinning, birds still chirp, the sun rises and it sets, but it will never be the same. Even when Kevin couldn't speak towards the end, he could still light up the room. He had that kind of dynamic presence. Kevin was just 53 years young when we received his diagnosis of  younger-onset Alzheimer's. He was only 57 years young when he took his last breath. We knew something was wrong several years earlier but our primary care doctor scoffed at our questions around possible Alzheimer’s. He told us it was more likely stress or depression and prescribed medication. It didn’t help. The Alzheimer’s Association referred us to a neurologist that listened to us and helped us find the answers we were desperate for. The news was a blow to our family, but at least we had answers and were able to move forward and face the disease and what it meant for our family.  Not everyone going through this is aware of the Alzheimer's Association and the services and education that they provide. Some families struggle to find out answers for a lot longer than we did. The Association provided us with access to the resources we needed. Education, care planning and support groups. For myself and our boys the Walk has become a way to celebrate Kevin honor his memory and bring awareness to Alzheimer's. We want people to know that it isn't an old person's disease. It can impact anyone. There are a lot of big moments in our boy's lives in my life that Kevin won't be here for. In the few short months since he's passed, there have been many. We want a future for other families that looks different than that. We believe the first survivor is out there, and we will continue to fight until we find a cure!

Thank you for joining the fight against Alzheimer's!