Ever since I can remember, my Grandpa was my first best friend. Having retired the year I was born, he was top of the list when it came to watching me. He taught me the magic of northern Michigan summers, the basics of sports, and how to help your community. As a veteran he volunteered with his local VFW Chapter and the State of Michigan VFW Honor Guard. He was the provider of fish fries during Lent, and always supported his teams, no matter the outcome (Go Blue!). He had a comforting and quiet demeanor, and was always there for his family.

One of his daily favorite pastimes was taking his dog for a walk; it was during one of these walks that he hit his head, and our journey through Alzheimer’s began. In the beginning stages, his demeanor didn’t change much, but he slowly began to forget daily tasks he had handled independently. On the outside, he seemed fine. It was quite difficult to find a doctor or anyone with resources to help during the progression of the disease. After finding a medicine regimen, he lived with the disease for about 10 years, but it was so painfully hard to watch him decline and witness his demeanor and mood change. The family banded together to help care for him at home as long as possible, but it reached a point that we had to move him to an assisted living home with memory care.

It’s fitting that there is a walk that my family and I can honor him and bring awareness to this disease. Since he always walked by my side, I will always walk for him and for a cure to end Alzheimer’s.  #ENDALZ #EndAlzheimers #Walk2EndAlz

I'm leading the way to Alzheimer's first survivor by participating in the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's®. Currently, more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's and that number is expected to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050. Our future is at risk unless we can find a way to change the course of this disease.

Together, we can end Alzheimer's disease. Please make a donation to advance the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer's Association. 

Thank you for joining the fight against Alzheimer's!