I’ll never forget the first time I saw my grandmother and realized that she didn’t recognize me. It’s like a punch in the gut that you can’t recover from. During the course of the next two years we witnessed her fade away. Alzheimer’s disease is a thief. It stole her memories, her independence, her quality of life and ultimately contributed to her death. It’s the only cause of death among the top 10 in America without a way to [...]
When I was a kid, the longest day of the year was always one of the most exciting. School was out and we could play outside until dark — and even stay up a little longer to catch fireflies. It was a time of no worries. But today, on the longest day of the year, I am walking more than 10 miles in honor of those who are enduring a life with Alzheimer’s. I am especially [...]
Today, I have the honor of participating in the Alzheimer’s Association Longest Day™. I’m excited to stretch my legs as I explore the nation’s capital and reinvigorate my passion for fighting Alzheimer’s disease, the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. I work at the Alzheimer’s Association because this disease took my grandmother when I was in high school, and I’ll be thinking of her today. It’s fitting to be taking in some of [...]
My name is Irene Hammer-McLaughlin. My dad Russ (his real name is Shelton, so you can see why he went by Russ!) died of vascular dementia in January 2005. In October that same year, my mom Stella (we won’t even go into her real name) was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Today I’m running for four hours as part of the Alzheimer’s Association Longest Day™ because I want to honor my parents, my sister who serves [...]
My grandfather is living with Alzheimer’s disease. My stepfather, Morley, serves as a paid caregiver and companion to a man with Alzheimer’s disease, Roy. Today, I am walking for three hours as part of the Alzheimer’s Association Longest Day™ in honor of these men — Poppy, Morley and Roy — and also my grandmother, Granny Bea, who is Poppy’s caregiver. As I got up bright and early this morning (just before the crack of dawn) [...]
On June 21, the longest day of the calendar year, I’m proud to be participating in a new event: the Alzheimer’s Association Longest DayTM, a sunrise-to-sunset relay supporting those affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Along with my co-workers at the national office in Chicago and our public policy office in D.C., we’ll run, bike, walk and complete other endurance activities to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Living with Alzheimer’s disease or [...]
