My mother got lost coming home from church, one evening. This was a trip she took every week and yet she could not find her way home. This unnerved her and she quit driving. This was also the beginning of the end of "normalcy." As time progressed, my mother's memory digressed, and she developed dementia. Alzheimer's and other dementias change more than the person living with this memory-stealing disease. It changes families. My dad and I joined my mother in her journey through dementia, on a daily basis, for ten years. It was not an easy journey to take especially as I watched what had been my parent slip away. I progressively lost the person who would play the piano on a Saturday morning, loud enough to awake me in my bedroom below. This was how she told me it was time to wake and make my presence known. As the disease progressed, roles were reversed, and she became the child and I the parent.

I lost my mother, twice. Once to dementia and once to the grave. I sometimes worry that I, too, will develop dementia. These are just a couple of reasons why I am participating in the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's. I also walk in honor of my brother Edwin, who developed dementia. Currently, more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's, and that number is expected to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050. We must find a way to stop this disease!

Progress has been made in the research to stop the progression of Alzheimer's. This helps to understand the disease and leads to the eventual end of this disease. More help is needed. Together, we can work to end Alzheimer's disease. Please make a donation to advance the care, support, and research efforts of the Alzheimer's Association. 

Thank you for joining the fight against Alzheimer's!

Melissa Kearsley