I WALK FOR MY MOM. MY MOM LOST HER TEN YEAR BATTLE WITH ALZHEIMER’S ON AUGUST 29, 2015. SHE HAD 8 CHILDREN, WAS A GRANDMOTHER, AND GREAT-GRANDMOTHER TO MANY. SHE HAD A CONTAGIOUS SMILE AND WAS ALWAYS HELPING HER  CHILDREN. FAMILY WAS IMPORTANT TO HER. BEING A STAY AT HOME MOM MYSELF ALLOWED ME TO SPEND MANY DAYS WITH MY MOTHER AND MY CHILDREN. MY MOM AND I WOULD SHOP, HAVE LUNCH, ATTEND MY KIDS SCHOOL EVENTS, AND ENJOYED MAKING CRAFTS. WHEN I LEFT MASSACHUSETTS AND MOVED TO NORTH CAROLINA, MY MOM WAS BEGINNING TO SHOW SIGNS OF ALZHEIMER'S. WITHIN A COUPLE OF YEARS SHE HAD DECLINED QUICKLY. I'LL NEVER FORGET THE DAY I RECEIVED THE CALL THAT MY MOM NEEDED TO BE PLACED IN A NURSING HOME, IT WAS DEVASTATING. I  WAS NEVER ABLE TO SPEAK WITH MY MOM SINCE THAT DAY. SHE WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH US. I BELIEVE SHE ALWAYS KNEW WE WERE THERE, JUST UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH US. MY MOM WAS IN A NURSING HOME FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS. THE ONE POSITIVE EVENT , MY FATHER WOULD SPEND EVERY NIGHT FEEDING MY MOM HER DINNER. HE NEVER MISSED A NIGHT. THE NURSING HOME BECAME OUR FAMILY'S MEETING PLACE. WE BECAME A CLOSER FAMILY BECAUSE OF THIS. ALL BIRTHDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS TOOK PLACE AT THE NURSING HOME TO INCLUDE OUR MOM.  THIS IS A TERRIBLE DISEASE THAT NEEDS TO BE CURED, SO OTHERS DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER.