Aug 13 2007
Fight Back Against Alzheimer’s Disease with Memory Walk
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I’ve been very fortunate in that all of the people who I care about that have reached their later years have never suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease. I have had friends though who were not so fortunate.
Alzheimer’s is a disease that robs people and their loved ones of time and it hurts and impacts all those involved. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia that is most commonly found in people ages sixty-five and over. It is estimated that over twenty-four million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s. Here is a textbook definition of what the disease is and what it does:
[…] Alzheimer’s is characterized by progressive cognitive deterioration, together with declining activities of daily living and by neuropsychiatric symptoms or behavioral changes. […]
Which is a very clear and cut way to say that a person who suffers from this disease essentially loses their selves, their identity, and can no longer truly process and understand the world around them. This definition does not even begin to touch upon the pain that is felt by the victim’s loved ones. Currently there is no known cause of Alzheimer’s, and as you can guess, that makes finding a cure incredibly difficult.
Memory Walk is a non-for-profit organization that has raised over $225 million dollars towards finding a cure. Memory Walk was begun in 1989 and has been dedicated to “walking” for a cure. You can visit their official website to locate a team near your location to join, or even better yet, you can sign up as a Team Captain and create your own team. If you’re in my position however you might not have a schedule that is very flexible, in which case you can select a walker and choose to sponsor them.
There is a local team in my area whom I plan to sponsor, which other Southern New Mexico residents may want to take notice of. Lizzie has put together a team that will meet and walk on October 13, 2007 at Young Park in Las Cruces. Please see the team’s page for more information on how to sign up or to sponsor a walker.
Please consider donating your time or money to a very charitable cause.
