2020 has been a year of loss and pain. I lost my grandma to a 14 year long battle of Alzheimer’s and to top it off a tragic fall at her nursing home. Grandma taught my mom, sister, and me how to be strong independent, loving, hardworking, sassy women. Growing up, it was just the five of us: Grandma, mom, dad, AJ, and me. Grandma spent so much time taking care of the family and teaching important life lessons to AJ and me. Grandma always tried to help out mom and dad by making dinner, doing dishes, folding laundry, babysitting, and taking Ashley and me for weekend sleepovers at the farm. Personally, I think grandma made the best grilled cheese in the world. Don’t worry grandma, your top-secret recipe has only been shared with a few people. The stories Grandma told and the memories created will never go away. I’ll cherish the times grandma would play games with us like aggravation and crazy eights. I’m surprised the Snow White VHS tape never broke due to the amount of times I made Grandma watch it. Unfortunately, 14 years of Alzheimer’s disease slowly took away Grandma’s ability to tell these stories.We all still knew she heard and remembered the stories when we retold them to her. She would sit, intently listening, and had her signature smile. The four of us learned how to take over the caregiver role from  grandma that she had held for so long. We slowly watched as she lost her ability to walk, then talk, and feed herself. We still always knew she recognized us when she would see us and smile, squeeze our hand, give us a kiss on the cheek, or nuzzle her head into our shoulders. I will never fully be able to explain what it feels like to slowly lose your loved one to Alzheimer’s. There is a learning curve when being a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s. You learn how to listen, understand, and feel love without actually hearing any words being said. It forms a deeper love and deeper bond with that person. That bond is something I wouldn’t trade for the world. My grandma was the only grandparent I ever had, she was my everything and we loved her with all of our hearts. We honor her by walking in the Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s each year and to help those who are victims of this terrible and heartbreaking disease. 

Please help stop this terrible disease by donating to the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's®. Together, we can end Alzheimer's disease. Please make a donation to advance the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer's Association.