Who is Suzy???  

Answer:  As many may know, my mother, Betty Hunter Hatten, has advanced Alzheimer's disease. This cruel disease has robbed my family and mom of what should be her golden retirement years. When my dad suddenly passed in December of 2021, it became clear that something was off with my mom. She wanted to go home to her mom and dad who had long since passed, she did not recognize my father, and she could not seem to handle many daily activities of life.

While Alzheimer's is a progressive disease and has slowly been deteriorating my mother's memories and capabilities for some time, it was only when my Dad passed away that I realized that I had really lost BOTH of my parents. They had relied heavily on each other to get through life and with Daddy gone, my mom was lost.  Her cognition dropped dramatically at his passing.  The mother that raised me and my siblings, my best friend, and one of the smartest people that I knew, was no longer really there.  She had seemed different for awhile, but it was so gradual and I was so busy with my own life that I barely noticed her slipping away.  It was always an inevitability that I knew was possible since my mother's dad, William Edward Hunter Sr. (aka "Pappy") also succumbed to Alzheimer's.  

Growing up my Pappy always called me Suzy. This was a cute nickname that I eventually came to realize he had for ALL little girls since he did not remember their real names. Ultimately everyone, including his own daughter and my mom, became Suzy.   Thus, we are Suzy's Steppers and we are walking in honor of Betty, William aka Pappy, and all of our family and friends impacted by this this horrible disease.  ~ Elizabeth Hatten Short