Alzheimer’s Association Advocacy Forum
2015-03-23 00:00:00
Washington Marriott Wardman Park
Dear Fellow Advocates: I am honored to serve as chair of the 2015 Alzheimer's Association Advocacy Forum, our 27th annual event in our nation's capital bringing together dedicated, like-minded supporters from communities throughout the country devoted to ending Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's and dementia have impacted my life continually for the last 50 years. During my adolescent, teen and young-adult days, my mom lived with the progression of Alzheimer's for 26 years. Throughout this challenging time, my father, her primary caretaker, and I committed ourselves to turning what could have been potential stumbling blocks for our family into stepping stones for others. Within a few years of Momma's passing, my family's commitment to caring for ourselves and others was once again called upon when Dad fell victim to and lived with vascular dementia for over a decade. Today, my family is again touched by the grips of this illness, as one of my siblings is in the early stages of memory loss.