In June 2018, I received the phone call that you never want to receive, nor are you ever ready for; the call was to tell me that my mom had passed away after 6 years with Alzheimer’s disease. Growing up, I was never supposed to say that I ‘hated’ something. My mom would always correct me and say that I ‘very much disliked’ whatever it was, I didn’t ‘hate’ it. However, I have to admit that I genuinely hate Alzheimer’s because it robbed me of my relationship with my mother at only 22 years old and then I physically lost her at only 28 years old.

My mom was an incredibly generous person and at a young age had me start volunteering. We volunteered together at numerous organizations and by doing so, she taught me the power of giving back to the community. Team Dear Prudence has raised over $36k in the years since her diagnosis and we’re not stopping. Since she has passed, I’ve been asked multiple times if I’ll stop my volunteer work with the Alz Association and I can tell you that my mom would ‘very much dislike’ that. I’ll always continue to honor her by fundraising and raising awareness until there is a cure.

In the years since her diagnosis, I’ve been devoted to learning everything I can about Alzheimer’s disease and spreading awareness about how truly terrible this disease is. It’s not only awful for the people diagnosed but for the caretakers as well. As the 6th leading cause of death in the United States, Alzheimer's is so much more than being forgetful. Last year, Colorado lost 1,830 people to the disease which was a 157% increase since the year 2000.  Losing my mom twice has been incredibly difficult, but I will always honor her. I ask that you volunteer with us and walk with us in honor of her; because we really do hate Alzheimer’s.

Lastly, thank you for everyone's support, donations, and kind words.

Love, Kaley