I am not the stereotypical person worried about Alzheimer's disease. I am not a baby boomer concerned about early onset. I am not a physician or a researcher working to uncover its mysteries. I have not lived a long life, only to lose all memory of what made it uniquely "my" life.
I am a healthy 19-year-old studying finance and computer science at Santa Clara University. I look forward to graduating in 2016. And I am the grandson of a woman who loved and nurtured me as a child but who no longer knows who I am.
When my grandmother was diagnosed with the disease in 2007, my life changed forever. I learned the difficult lesson that Alzheimer's disease is not just about the elderly, or those at high-risk -- it's about families. It's about their ability, or inability, to cope with the heart-wrenching challenges ahead: the physical and emotional stress of watching a loved one slowly become a stranger, and the helplessness and frustration that come with the high costs and endless care associated with the disease.
Sadly, the stress has broken my family apart. My grandfather, who once looked forward to his golden years with my grandmother, is now forced to work to pay for her care.
But we live in a place that has paved the way for the cure or prevention of Alzheimer's. This is evident in the sheer number of Bay Area research institutions and disease centers. Some of the leading Alzheimer's research is conducted in our own back yard. I've chosen to be part of the Alzheimer's movement because I believe there's a chance the disease will end with my grandmother's generation.
To my peers who are like I used to be -- brushing aside Alzheimer's as a sad disease, but one that I didn't have to worry about for years -- I would offer a reality check. Today, more than 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease and millions more are burdened with caring for them. By the time my generation reaches its 50s, when we start thinking about our retirement, the number of people with Alzheimer's is projected to nearly triple, to 13.8 million, barring medical breakthroughs.
The likelihood of us becoming caregivers for our parents, or eventually being diagnosed and needing a caregiver ourselves, is real. But it doesn't have to be.
Through the valuable work made possible by organizations like the Alzheimer's Association, we are beginning to understand what causes the disease and what we can do to prevent it. I am optimistic that in the near future, we can stop Alzheimer's before it starts. The early detection and prevention studies give me hope for my parents, my sister, my future children and myself.
The Alzheimer's Association's Walk to End Alzheimer's is the nation's largest event to raise awareness and funds for care, support and research. The event is held annually in more than 600 communities. On Saturday, Alzheimer's Action Day, thousands will Walk in San Francisco; on Oct. 12, thousands more will be walking in San Jose. As chair of the San Jose event, I will be among them.
I walk because I remember too vividly what my grandmother cannot -- how she took care of me every day after elementary school while my parents were at work. How she sat down and made sure I did my homework. How she taught me to ride my bike.
I walk so that I may never forget.
Matt Katawicz is a student at Santa Clara University and chairman of Walk to End Alzheimer's San Jose. He is the grandson of Phyllis Katawicz. He wrote this for this newspaper.
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