A few short months ago we lost my Nana to dementia. Aside from what I've written below, I really have no words to convey the ugliness of this disease and the impact it leaves on families like my own. We carry on the fight for you, Nana, and for all the other families out there who are simultaneously caregiving while mourning.

Memories matter; they're magical transports to another time & place that should be the right of every aging adult who finds themselves in a body that no longer moves the way it used to. Memories bridge generations. They are the basis for passing on oral tradition & for assuring that stories are passed down through families. Memories carry deep emotion & allow families to laugh, cry, & even cringe at past experiences to deepen bonds and to share valuable (and sometimes surprising) hindsight. They're special glimpses into the depths of personality that we may never have seen in our loved ones. Every single memory is a gift - a gift of experience & wisdom from one generation to the next. ⁠

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Today, on World Alzheimer's Day, I ask that you imagine a world without memory. Consider these implications for yourself, your family, your children, & our social networks as a whole. It's a bleak reality that an estimated 6.2 million Americans over the age of 65 are dealing with every day. Consider for a minute how that number expands as we consider all of the families that are silently acting as caregivers & mourning the loss of valuable family memories.⁠

Families facing Alzheimer’s and all other dementia need us now more than ever — and with your help, we can be there for them. Please make a donation or register as a participant and start your own fundraising. Together, we can end Alzheimer’s disease. 

Thank you!