My grandfather, William Lancaster, was the most amazing and loving Pappy I could have asked for. It has been three years since we have lost him to one of the worst diseases to witness, Alzheimer’s disease. He was always there for those big events, cheering my sister and me on. I grew up spending time with Gramme and Pappy, whether it be at their shop, going over for pizza night, or the countless summers in Rhode Island. When I would visit the shop, I would immediately sit at the desk, pull out the packages of saltine crackers, and fill up my cup with water from the water cooler. I was living the dream. As many of you know, Pappy was a quiet man. Never really had much to say, but that was the comfort of it all. When we would be in Rhode Island, we’d all be sitting around the dining room table and he would just slowly look around the table, and he was so content. Hearing his guitar from the other room is a sound I definitely miss, singing along to Johnny Cash. His love for music was something that was never lost.
Watching someone you love go through the different stages of Alzheimer’s is one of the hardest things to witness. It felt like you lost someone twice. You lose the person that you grew up knowing and loving, and then you lose the person that they became from the disease. But I knew all along that my Pappy was always still there. He’d still pull up his arm of his shirt, flex his muscles and show off that fading $10 Chesty tattoo (Chesty is the Marines bulldog mascot). He’d still hum along to all his favorite songs, and the love that he had for Gramme never faded.
I have been fundraising for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s for over 5 years now. Each year, it gets a little harder hearing all those statistics, here’s a few. There are about 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease. By 2050, that number is projected to rise to nearly 13 million. There are over 11 million Americans who provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s. The risk of a woman getting Alzheimer’s is 1 in 5, compared to the 1 in 10 chance for men. Those are some scary statistics for someone who has Alzheimer’s in their family. My chances are increased by about 30% on top of the existing risk that I will develop Alzheimer’s since I have had close relatives diagnosed.
I am walking to not only honor Pappy and all the others who have had Alzheimer’s diagnosis but also for myself. Please consider making a donation to help find a cure for Alzheimer’s.
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