Over the course of my professional career as a space scientist (from 1966 to 2002), I probably visited the Washington, D.C. area 14 or 15 times every year. These trips averaged two or three days, visiting various government agencies involved in funding scientific research from Greenbelt, Maryland to Alexandria, Virginia and beyond. However, the only time that I can remember that I visited the Capitol Building was as a seventh grader on a spring school [...]
Alzheimer’s disease has been the greatest heartbreak of my life. I lost my mother to Alzheimer’s disease. And then, my father. I tell their story, because they can’t. I tell their story in hopes that future generations will not have the same story to tell. Today, I am surrounded by fellow advocates at the 25th annual Alzheimer’s Association Advocacy Forum – my thirteenth. We are the voice of many, with one message: The time to [...]
Sometimes I feel like I’m standing with a crowd of people on a railroad track and there’s a freight train coming. I can hear a whistle in the distance, but everybody else is chatting about the weather or shrugging their shoulders. They are saying things like, “It sure would be terrible to get stuck on this track when the train comes,” or worse, “I don’t hear anything.” The train continues to get closer—but no one [...]
A Note from Michael: I would love to thank each one of you for the wonderful comments I received from my article. As an advocate, it can be challenging to measure the ways in which my story is received by others. Seeing all of this positive feedback has given me a boost to continue writing and raising awareness for the millions of American’s affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Since receiving my diagnosis, I have had the [...]
For the past eight days, I have been walking—a journey of more than 200 miles in total. I chose to make this trek for each and every one of more than 5 million people suffering with Alzheimer’s disease—and in particular, for my father, Lt. Col. Carl Rabon Stephens, who is a retired army chaplain. Why am I walking to Washington, D.C.? Because we need to ensure the passage of $100 million dollars for Alzheimer’s research [...]
On Wednesday, May 16, the Alzheimer’s Association hosted “An Evening with Glen Campbell,” an event to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease among members of Congress. Held at the Library of Congress, the evening honored country music legend Campbell, who is living with Alzheimer’s disease, and his family. Actress and philanthropist Jane Seymour welcomed a crowd including members of Congress, staff and their families. Seymour’s husband, James Keach, and his filmmaking partner, Trevor Albert, are making [...]
My mother had Alzheimer’s disease, and what it did to her was just terrible. Her mother had it too. A few years ago, my wife, a retired nurse, noticed that I was having short-term memory problems. When I got lost trying to find my way around a familiar hospital campus, we decided that I needed to be medically evaluated. That was in 2010, and I was diagnosed with an “early-stage” memory problem. A year later, [...]
Congress has created a new Peer-Reviewed Alzheimer’s Research program at the Department of Defense. The program was included in the federal spending bill signed by the president on April 15, 2011. While countless programs received funding reductions, including a $260 million cut for the National Institutes of Health, the Alzheimer’s community secured a significant victory for Alzheimer’s research in the finalized spending bill. The Peer-Reviewed Alzheimer’s Research program created by Congress at the Department of [...]
The Global Economic Impact of Dementia, the first study of such scope to examine the macroeconomics of all types of dementias, released by the non-profit group Alzheimer’s Disease International 2010 includes some hard-to-ignore data. About 35.6 million people worldwide live with some type of dementia — about four times the population of Sweden. That caseload will increase to 65.7 million by 2030 and 115.4 by 2050. It seems that with each new study, the numbers [...]
Today, World Alzheimer’s Day 2010, we have seen new levels of attention around the reality of Alzheimer’s disease, including the millions affected in the United States and across the globe. More than 40 research riders in the Alzheimer’s Breakthrough RideSM arrived in Washington, D.C. to deliver the signatures of over 100,000 Americans who want Congress to make Alzheimer’s a national priority. Alzheimer’s Disease International released the new World Alzheimer Report 2010, highlighting the growing costs [...]
