When your parents raise you from a young child to an adult, you don't envision having to care for that very person who you looked up to; your friend, the person who teaches you right from wrong, the one who loves you unconditionally despite your short comings. I was that child who had to care for my mother. It was always my mother and me. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought that I would be that person that God entrusted to care for her. 

In 2008, my mother was diagnosed with Dementia. In 2011, doctors informed us that she had Ovarian Cancer. In 2012, she passed away at the tender age of 89 years old. We were blessed to care for her in our home. I was grateful that I had the experience of caring for my mom. As time passed, just when I thought I had l learned to live with the loss of my mother, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. On the morning of Christmas 2020, my mother-in-law passed away. 

Although the story I shared seems to be very straight forward, there were many layers that added to the experience of caring for my mother and mother-in-law. Several years earlier, a friend of mine who knew how much I loved being around elderly people suggested that I take the Certified Nurse Aide program through Grand Rapids Community College. I decided to pursue it. I signed up for the six-week course and passed. It wasn't long before I realized that this was something that was natural to me. I was now state certified to help care for the elderly and was hired by a well known long term care facility. I loved what I was doing. However, this was never intended to replace my full-time job. For over three years I maintained both jobs. By day I was a an administrative assistant, but at night I cared for the elderly. During that time, my mother came to live with us. As she grew older, it became apparent that she needed some help. I began to notice some changes, but not enough to become worried. I decided to document the changes I was seeing in her. Because of my training, I knew the signs, but did not want to believe they were happening to my mother. I noticed she wasn't eating her breakfast or that her coffee cup would still be on the counter when I came home from work. Then the obvious, when it was time to take a shower, she was spending a lot of time in the bathroom. One day, I passed the bathroom and the door was slightly ajar. When I peaked in, my mother was washing her face repeatedly. My heart sank. 

Through these experiences, Almighty Hearts was birthed. As you can see, this fight is near and dear to my heart and the heart of our family. We must help bring awareness to others as many families are dealing  with similar situations. The weight of caring for a loved one can become quite overwhelming; caregivers need support more now than ever before. Dementia and Alzheimer's is increasing faster than we realize. I want to help bring awareness to families so that they can be better prepared for the experience of being the caregiver of a loved one. Caregivers need more resources, more money, and more emotional support. Although there is medicine which help to slow down the progression of these diseases, there is currently no cure. There are a few breakthroughs, but we still have much work ahead of us. I am beyond grateful that I have been entrusted by God to begin this journey with you and your beloved family members.