Our story with our daddy's sister, Jurnice, is filled with good times. My sister and I spent several months as her primary caregivers. Although some of our days were difficult and included hard conversations and even harder decisions, our goal was to make each day the best day ever. We reminisced about her childhood and our childhoods. We road around town listening to stories about people and places from Jurnice's past, deciphered very specific shopping lists, visited with family, ate a BUNCH of Dairy Queen hamburgers, cried a little, and laughed a lot. Some people say with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, you feel like you lose the person twice. That is certainly true on many levels. For us, this also gave us the unfiltered version of the aunt we loved. We miss Jurnice every single day and count it a privilege to have heard the words repeated, "I love you girls. Thank you for taking care of me."

That being said, Alzheimer’s isn’t stopping and neither are we. By participating in the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s,  we are raising awareness and funds to advance the fight against this disease — funds that allow the Alzheimer’s Association to provide 24/7 care and support while accelerating critical research.

Families facing Alzheimer’s and all other dementia need us — and with your help, we can be there for them. Please make a donation or register as a participant and start your own fundraising efforts. Together, we can end Alzheimer’s disease.

Thank you for your support!

Jurnice's "favorite niece"