Support & Appreciation


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Monday, August 11, 2008

Remember when...

There are hundreds of ways I could complete that sentence. Remember when you were a kid and tight rolling your jeans was the style? Remember when Tom & Jerry was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon? Remember the first kiss you ever had, the first crush, the first broken heart?

As we get older, get new jobs, families, careers, etc. memories are often the only thing we have left of who we were. Reminders of a different time, a different place, a different way of life. Back before there were cameras to eternally capture a moment on film, memories were often the only way history was passed on. Family traditions, funny stories, jokes, historical events and the like are often only carried on from person to person via a memory.

There are special times in my life that I don't have recorded or captured in a photo, or a journal and the memory of that particular person, place or event is the only way I can keep those special moments close.

I can't imagine how I would feel if one day those memories were no longer available to me. If I woke up one day and not only did I not remember the times, people and places that had meant something to me in my past, but nor did I remember who the people in my present were.

Sadly enough that is exactly what Alzheimer's does, it robs people of themselves. As many as 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer's destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and it is fatal. Today it is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States.

What's even more sad is that there is currently no known cure, but drug and non-drug treatments may help with both cognitive and behavioral symptoms. Researchers are looking for new treatments to alter the course of the disease and improve the quality of life for people with dementia.

But there is hope! Research is ongoing and the search for better treatments for symptoms, and with hope, a cure, is ever expanding. The Alzheimer's Association is holding the
Alzheimer's Memory Walk to help continue raising funds for Alzheimer's research. Memory Walk is the Alzheimer's Association's signature event for awareness and fundraising. Since 1989, Memory Walk has raised more than $225 million to help fight Alzheimer's and help those currently living with the disease.

The Alzheimer's Association, the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer research and support, is advancing progress in prevention, treatments and an eventual cure and provides support for all those affected by the disease. Memory Walk is a noncompetitive walk, and a festive event for families, coworkers, and friends of all ages.

Please join them in taking steps to end Alzheimer's. You can visit the website and find a walk in your area, create a team or join an existing one! If there isn't a walk in your area you can still help by joining the
Memory Walk Team Virtual and still help raise money for this cause.








Sponsored by Alzheimer's Walk

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