We must work together to #ENDALZ

I was just 15 years old when my mom got diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. From that point on my family and I became full time caregivers for her. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon as there are currently 11 million Americans providing unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. Once you become a caregiver, life is measured differently. You dedicate yourself to taking care of your loved one, all of your needs become secondary to theirs. My family worked tirelessly searching for a memory-saving medicine and caregiving assistance just to stay afloat. It was a stressful experience, as it is for 70% of caregivers when coordinating care.

When my mom passed away from Alzheimer’s at 59 years old, I knew that I could not let her memory disappear. I began advocating in September of 2023 with the Alzheimer’s Association. It has given me purpose with everything that happened to my mom. My two biggest hopes with advocating are that:
1: We can increase funding for Alzheimer’s care and research
2: For someone currently caretaking for a loved one with Alzheimer’s to know they are not alone, and we are fighting for them.

By investing in research funding and prioritizing Alzheimer’s policies over the last decade, Congress has helped us enter the era of treatment – where we now have two FDA-approved treatments for the early stages of Alzheimer’s. To end this disease once and for all, Congress must stay committed to our mission. That is why I am asking my Representative Jonathan Jackson to increase research funding by $318 million and vote to pass the NAPA Reauthorization Act and Alzheimer’s Accountability & Investment Act.

I don't want other families to experience what mine did - and that's why we can't stop fighting. I look forward to continuing this work with Congressman Jackson, so together we can bring an end to this devastating disease.

To learn more about the fight against Alzheimer’s, visit alzimpact.org.