Syd Backman was my husband, best friend, partner and constant companion for 38 years.

He was loving, joyful, and funny.  He loved to play cards, go dancing, travel.

Most of this was lost when he developed Alzheimer's. He lost his driver's license, became incontinent, forgot how to walk and his leg muscles atrophied. He spent the last two and half years of his life in a wheelchair in care facilities.  At times he would act like a toddler, and at other times he would have flashes of total lucidity, when he would tell me he had nothing to live for. It was heart-breaking. We both suffered terribly in his last years.

The facts about Alzheimer's and the other dementias are frightening.  1 in 3 seniors over 65 dies due to Alzheimer's or dementia; it kills more people that breast cancer and prostate cancer combined; more than 6.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, while over 11 million American family and friends provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer's or other dementia.

It is so important that we find a cure for this disease, both for those afflicted, and for the greater number of people who care for them. 

Please join me in raising the funds for the research.  

No donation is too small.  Every single dollar helps.

In gratitude,

Katherine Backman