October 21, 2023 is the day I walk in memory of my Gram, in honor of my mother who is currently living with early onset Alzheimer’s and all those with Alzheimer's and dementia. I am proud to be involved in my 5th Walk to End Alzheimer’s  

For those who don't know when you get to a Walk to End Alzheimer’s event you get to choose a flower. Each color represents your relationship with Alzheimer's and other dementia. In 2018, I held the yellow flower as a representation of me and my family being my grandmother's caregivers. In 2019, I traded in my yellow flower for a purple one.  The purple flower represents losing someone to Alzheimer's or dementia. My Gram passed in July of 2019.

In 2021 I started to hold multiple flowers, the purple for my grandma and I picked the yellow (caregiver) flower as I have the honor to be a caregiver for my mother who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. My family has transitioned back into the role of caregiver for my mother as we navigate this difficult disease  

I have learned so much in this journey but one of the hardest things I have learned is how to grieve someone who is still alive. To start saying goodbye to someone who has started to forget who you are and who they are. Each person progresses differently with the disease but what has hit home most is looking my mother in the eyes and her not knowing who I am, this disease has taken my mom away even when I see her everyday.

For this reason and so many others, I walk in memory of my Gram,  in honor of my mother and have the honor of being one of Barbara's Beauties.

Barbara’s Beauties was the name of my Grandma Brochu’s bowling team that her and my mother were on for many years.