Even though no one in my family has Alzheimer’s, it is still a cause that is near to my heart. I have friends who’s grandparents have had to go deal with the disease directly. It was terrible to have to hear their stories of heartbreak and loss as they watched their grandparents deteriorate into people who didn’t know them at all. I cried with them many times.

My own father has memory issues unrelated to Alzheimer’s. He had cancer a few years back that left a huge impression on his memory. He had a tumor in his brain that required radiation and chemotherapy. He had just gone through the same treatments for a lesion in his lung, and this was the recurrence of the cancer. His memory issues haven’t gotten any better over the last few years, either. We even got him a little digital voice recorder so he could record his thoughts to play back later in case he forgot. His condition is much like Alzheimer’s and my heart bleeds for him.

The Memory Walk has been going on since 1989 and raised more than $220 million dollars for the disease. Team captains are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible to participate in the walk. Fundraising has already begun. Check out the website to see what walks are going on in your area.

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