Alzheimer’s Girl to the Rescue: Being Passionate About Alzheimer's Advocacy

I feel like most people have things for which they’re known. You know, that subject, like baseball, or that game or that hobby that your friends or family will see or hear about and, magically, you’re manifested in their brains. They send you a text, “Hey I saw the Penn State game, wild right?” or “I just read this amazing book, you have to pick it up.” They are not so different from the monikers that Pop would give us when he was in the middle stages of Alzheimer’s.

I guess I have a few, my friend Taylor thinks of me when she sees cozy things. I like that one. A few people think of me when they are talking about books or yoga, and I appreciate those kind thoughts as well. For some, due to my passionate advocacy for Alzheimer’s disease, I’m known as the Alzheimer’s girl.

Support from coworkers

Frequently, my coworkers will email me articles that have to do with the brain, memory and, more specifically, Alzheimer’s.

For example, my coworker sent me a Washington Post article, which discusses the medical review of a drug to treat early-onset Alzheimer’s. I’m certainly grateful she passed it on, but receiving this email stopped and made me think “Do I want to be, possibly forever, associated with a debilitating disease?”

Being associated with Alzheimer's

In my thought process, I considered that it might show a little overzealousness on my part that people who I’ve worked with for only a few years would come to know me by this title, but, you know what? Alzheimer’s is a stealthy foe; it requires enthusiastic people who will work just as tirelessly as the disease does in order to, one day, be defeated.

What’s more, this isn’t something I chose! I can say with some reasonable certainty that everyone who’s reading this blog post now would certainly not want to be associated with Alzheimer’s disease if they were given the option. But there’s no vaccine that we can seek out or lifestyle choices that are guaranteed to keep this enemy at bay. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, it chose us.

If the shoe fits, wear it

So, to that I say, if the cape fits! For however long I’m able to, I will pull on the boots, throw the logo on my chest and use whatever gifts God has given me to raise awareness and funds to fight this disease.

Although I’m no superhero, I’m happy to wear the outfit and join my fellow warriors be it on the steps of the state capital, the 2.5 mile loop around Citizen’s Bank Park, or, in a socially distant universe, as the persistent dings of a new email entering your inbox to remind anyone and everyone that we are here fighting for 5 million people who have Alzheimer’s and for every person who is diagnosed or loving someone who has dementia.

In choosing us, Alzheimer’s messed up. We, as a group, are the ones who have the real superpowers. Put a bunch of passionate, driven, enthusiastic people who share a common cause in the same place walking toward the same goal and, let me tell you, magic happens.