In November 2022, our family decided to get involved with fundraising for Alzheimer’s research. We created a GoFundMe page to shed light on my husband, John’s, battle with young-onset Alzheimer’s disease and raise money for Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. We were apprehensive about revealing John’s diagnosis since we had kept it private for so long, and we didn’t want our everyday interactions with friends and our community to be uncomfortable once they knew. Since then, we have learned the beautiful lesson that by people knowing, we are more relaxed, and our interactions are more open and genuine. Pretty early on, we found Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. The research they were funding inspired us and gave us hope, knowing this organization’s mission is to find a cure for Alzheimer’s. Over the years, we have gotten to know some of the doctors who have received grants from Cure Alzheimer’s, and they are not only brilliant but have committed their lives to helping patients who have been given this diagnosis.
As a caregiver to my husband, there is so much I have learned in these past seven years since John’s diagnosis, but the one that stands out the most is how all-consuming this disease is to the entire family. Part of what keeps us going is the hope of a cure and the knowledge that we are not alone in this fight.