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WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN US ON 11/2 AT THE WALK TO END ALZHEIMER'S IN ATLANTA.
BEING A CAREGIVE FOR SOMEONE THAT HAS THIS DISEASE IS VERY HARD. DAD IS NOW DIAGNOSED WITH END-STAGE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. SEEING HIM GO THROUGH THIS DISEASE IS DEVASTATING. IMAGINE YOUR LOVED ONE BEING IN PAIN, BUT CAN'T COMMUNICATE IT. IMAGINE HAVING TO PUT YOUR LOVED ONE IN A MEMORY CARE UNIT WITH CAREGIVERS WHO ARE NOT TRAINED IN TAKING CARE OF SOMEONE WITH DEMENTIA. IMAGINE MOVING YOUR LOVED ONE FROM FACILITY TO FACILITY EXPECTING SOMETHING DIFFERENT BUT YOU GET THE SAME CARE WHEREVER THEY GO BECAUSE THE CAREGIVERS ARE UNDERPAID, UNDERSTAFFED, AND UNDERAPPRECIATED. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU GO THROUGH AS A CAREGIVER. WE HAVE TO HELP THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION RAISE AWARENESS AND MONEY TO FIND A CURE TO END THIS DISEASE.
HERE IS OUR STORY
MY FATHER WAS OFFICIALLY DIAGNOSED WITH EARLY-ONSET ALZHEIMER’S IN 2011, AT THE AGE OF 55. WE DON’T HAVE ANY KNOWN FAMILY HISTORY OF DEMENTIA AND CAN ONLY ATTRIBUTE THE DISEASE TO HIM PLAYING FOOTBALL, A COUPLE OF MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS, AND ULTIMATELY A FALL OFF HIS BOAT THAT WAS DRY-DOCKED. AFTER HIS FALL MOM STARTED NOTICING CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR (FORGETTING THINGS, GETTING FRUSTRATED WITH HER EASILY, AND STRUGGLING TO DO THE JOB HE HAD BEEN DOING FOR OVER 30 YEARS).
SO, TESTING BEGAN. HE WAS PRESCRIBED MEDICINE TO TAKE BUT REFUSED TO TAKE IT. OF COURSE, THE MEDICINE IS NOT A CURE, BUT IT IS SAID TO PROLONG THE SYMPTOMS. THE DISEASE PROGRESSED RAPIDLY. BECAUSE OF THE RAPID PROGRESSION, WE (AS A FAMILY) HAD TO STOP HIM FROM DOING THINGS HE LOVED TO DO, WORKING AND DRIVING.
IN 2018, MY FATHER MOVED TO GA. HE PRESENTLY LIVES IN A MEMORY CARE FACILITY. I VISIT HIM OFTEN. I’M NOW KNOWN AS A FAMILY MEMBER AND NOT HIS DAUGHTER. HE DOESN’T CALL ME BY NAME, BUT HE SMILES WHENEVER HE SEE’S ME. BEFORE COVID 19 WE WENT FOR RIDES, LISTENED TO EARTH WIND & FIRE, AND WENT TO DAIRY QUEEN TO GET HIS FAVORITE ICE CREAM. I REALLY APPRECIATE THOSE RIDES AND LISTENING TO HIM SING AND SMILE.
THIS DISEASE HAS CAUSED A MAJOR STRAIN ON THE FAMILY BOTH EMOTIONALLY AND FINANCIALLY. I WATCH MY FATHER SLOWLY DIE EACH DAY, I GUESS THAT’S WHY THEY CALL THIS DISEASE “THE LONG GOODBYE”.
I WALK BECAUSE I WANT TO BE THE FIRST PERSON HOLDING THAT WHITE FLOWER BECAUSE MY DAD SURVIVED THIS DISEASE.
LET'S MAKE THIS YEAR DIFFERENT, LET'S HAVE THE LARGEST GATHERING EVER! WE WOULD LOVE FOR ALL OF DUVALL'S FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO JOIN US AT THE WALK.
My Progress
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Storyteller
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Mobile Master
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Walk Committee Member
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AIM/Advocacy