Our fight... 

 I guess I've really always been a fighter. I was always taught to give it all I had no matter what I was doing! Rather it be riding horses or playing basketball! Sometimes I thought my way was better, just to realize my parents actually knew what they were talking about. In 1996 I was 19 and had been married for a short time, living 3 hours away from my parents and pretty homesick. My mom called me and told me she needed to tell me something that was gonna be hard to except, my daddy had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's! I was in shock, since he was only 48, I couldn't believe this was happening. His mother had already been diagnosed just a short time before him. My dad had given my grandmother a ring back in 1967, and when I got engaged he wanted to pass it to me. MawMaw had misplaced it a couple of times and found it in time and cleaned it up had it in a little box. That was so special that she remembered why she was giving it to me. That was hard to take as well and now I had to face this with my hero! I told my mom that I supported her and daddy in any decision they would have to make regarding daddy's treatments! It was so hard to be so far away and helpless! I was the baby, a daddy's girl for sure. Dad started with Aricept, because it was such an early diagnoses. I was so scared, thinking is my daddy gonna forget me one day? I couldn't imagine life like that. I didn't see any signs with him for a long time. We didn't dwell on it, and rarely talked about it. It was hard to except my grandmother and him both having it. Within a year and half we had moved back to West Monroe, where all my family was. Being close to my parents I felt better knowing I was there incase they needed me! I wanted to spend as much time with daddy and mawmaw as I could, but sometimes I feel like I wasn't with her as much as I should've been. By late 90s early 2000 we were seeing my mawmaw change. It was so sad. We had found out by then that it was hereditary in our family, she had siblings with this horrible disease too. At that time I really didn't think anyone else would have it. By 2002 my mawmaw was worse and my pawpaw was 79 and it was getting harder for him to take care of her. He hated it so much, but he had to put her in a rehabilitation facility, then a nursing home, which was horrible. They didn't treat her very good so he moved her to an assisted living home. She continued to get worse. She was so frail and didn't know us anymore.. That is the most difficult thing to face. My precious memories we had made growing up were only in my mind now. Going to see her was precious times because we knew it wouldn't be long and she would be gone. Excepting that was so hard. It seemed to go so fast by this time. I know it scared my dad, worrying he may forget us one day. I remember the last week was she here, I went everyday. And we were all there one day standing my her bed, she thought my brother was my dad and my dad was my pawpaw. I broke down. She was crying for her mother who had passed when I was child. This was so hard for our family. She was so wonderful and to lose her to this disease made it even harder. A year after she died I saw a commercial for the memory walk for the Alzheimers Association, that was the first time I had heard of it. I didn't even know there was an Association. So I signed up for an I've been volunteering since. Each year I give more of my time and push harder for people to see the severity of Alzheimers! For a long time I wouldn't really think about the "What if" What if I get it, or my brother or sister or anyone else in our family! I was just wanting to spread awareness. I started telling more people about my dad but he still wasn't wanting to talk much to folks about it! I mean it's not something you start a conversation with. He doesn't like attention at all! He's shy, not me though lol! The more I got involved I knew we have to find a cure! I'm not going to lose my daddy the way I lost my mawmaw. July 2014 I started volunteering for Rider Relief Fund with the PBR. Met some amazing people. Started noticing SAYiWONT more and more. Thought how my life and my fight is just like the Creed and how so many were wearing the creed! By November I ordered my first set of shirts and had lots of friends and family wearing and thought it couldn't hurt to ask if the guys in the PBR would wear it for Alzheimer's awareness and now I have riders, bull fighters, contractors, Flint, my Rider Relief team and so many more wearing it! After we started the shirts a friend, Jonathon Sumner with Buckin Rank Bull Flanks offered to make purple flanks, giving 20% of each order to Alzheimers for research. This was amazing. By February 2015 at Iron Cowboy I had sold my first pair to Chad Berger/Chad Berger Bucking Bulls and before the weekend was over Dallas Schott/Broken Arrow S Ranch had placed an order! By April, Humps N Horns ran our story, again I was amazed at the support we were getting! This meant so much to not just me but my family. Knowing my PawPaw was proud of me for spreading awareness and supported me in sharing our story was the best feeling. He and my dad were the ones I wanted to be ok with "going public." June of that year Chad Berger and his family welcomed me and a "purple" night at their Bismarck Blue Def event. The PBR did an article for us and allowed me to write our story on their website. I have shed so many sad tears because of Alzheimers but I've also shed happy tears to the response we've gotten is such a short time. We now have around 15 contractors with 5 being in the PBR using our flanks! I also work with The Pepper Stewart Show out of Mesquite,Tx. where I'm able to push our fight even more. I try not to think about myself having Alzheimers. I fight everyday. I workout everyday as a fitness instructor, not only as my job but to keep myself mentally and physically healthy. That is one of the main things recommend in preventing Alzheimers! I fight for my family, my children, myself and all families affected my this hateful disease. We will find a cure! Thank you SAYiWONT for helping us spread the word and the fight to end Alzheimer's!! We also have a FACEBOOK page and an Instagram.. Get Fit Pit Fight 2 End Alzheimers. #GFPF2EA

 Today, over 35 million people across the world are living with Alzheimer's, including more than 5 million Americans. In the United States alone, more than 15 million caregivers generously dedicate themselves to those with Alzheimer's and dementia. And these numbers will only continue to rise unless we take action.

 Together, we can show those facing Alzheimer's disease they are not alone. Please make a donation to help the Alzheimer's Association advance research and provide care and support to those facing the disease today.

Alzheimer’s disease is relentless. So are we.

Support our team for the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's®, the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.