There is much said about the increasing cost of the care for Alzheimer’s victims. In fact, current predictions bankrupt the country by 2050 unless some cure, some solution is found. That alone should motivate all to help to find a cure for Alzheimer’s.
But, it alone, is not why I walk….I walk because I lived through the pain of losing a husband to Alzheimer’s. For 11 years, I cared for him as he lost his memory, his personality, and who He was….I walk because no one should lose their life not remembering their spouse, or their children, or their career. And no loved one should have to grieve each day….day after day, year after year…as they lose the one they love. Alzheimer’s WILL bankrupt the country; but not before it emotionally, physically and financially bankrupts countless families.
I started Walking for Alzheimer’s in 2007 when it was deeply personal; a way to express my grief and to find the support from family and friends who had no words for our pain. Now I walk because as a Riverside nurse and a James City County resident, I have watched person after person, family after family, neighbor after neighbor endure the same pain and loss.
NOW is the time to fight for a cure; NOW is the time to support our friends and family. Now is the time to sign up to Walk To End Alzheimer’s.
– Faith Shartzer, RN
Alzheimer's Association Southeastern Virginia Chapter 