I joined the fight against Alzheimer's Disease in 2005 to support my dad Lenny.  

He was 56, happily married with two kids and a successful banker.  Lenny was a true family man spending all of his free time taking kids to soccer tournaments and karate or endlessly pulling us around the lake tubing.  He had recently celebrated the marriage of his daughter Alisa when he received a letter from his employer.  They were concerned about performance lapses at work - missed meetings, missed deadlines, missed flights.  The lapses sounded familiar to my mom Nancy and they were at the hospital for testing soon after.  A formal diagnosis was provided on June 30, 2005 - Alzheimer's Disease.  There was no effective means to treat or cure the disease.  We were devastated.

Things changed quickly after The Diagnosis.  My dad retired despite having an understanding employer and spent most of his time alone at our cabin.  He was ashamed and preferred isolation.  The disease impacted parts of his brain responsible for personality causing him to become increasingly paranoid and irrational.  My mom juggled care for my dad with her career while I finished my degree in Chicago.  We watched Alzheimer's Disease take my dad's fun loving personality and independence.  Over time he lost the ability to drive, read, speak, walk, swallow and breathe.  Each loss was abrupt and heartbreaking.  Alzheimer's took his life in 2013 only eight years after diagnosis.

During our battle with the disease the Alzheimer's Association gave us hope and purpose.  Their hotline helped us find support groups.  Support groups yielded lifelong friendships with others struggling with the disease.  The Alzheimer's community inspired us to advocate at the state capital and in Washington DC at the Alzheimer's Forum for funding to develop treatments and a cure.  Now in 2024 we can effectively diagnose Alzheimer's and have multiple treatments that can slow the disease's progression.  We are at a critical moment in the fight against Alzheimer's where every additional voice and dollar gets us incrementally closer to a world where an Alzheimer's diagnosis is no longer a death sentence.

I joined the fight against Alzheimer's Disease to support my dad Lenny but I remain in the fight for my kids and all the people struggling with the loss of a loved one.  Please join me in the fight by making a contribution, joining a walk team or offering support to someone you know who is affected by the disease.  Thank you for your consideration and know you are not alone in this fight!