September 2015 Give Back Beautiful: Alzheimer's Association

Alzheimer's changes lives. It's been such a tough disease to watch my family go through. I remember days at my grandmother's house eating ice cream, watching movies, and talking about everything. Those visits are different now; I’m lucky if my grandmother remembers my name, who I’m married to and where I live. It's sad. It’s difficult carrying a conversation with someone who doesn’t answer you back. I often wonder if my grandmother can hear or understand what I’m saying. No one can really understand what people go through, unless you have a relative like my grandma - someone with Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's makes a normal person start forgetting things until they can’t remember how to talk, walk or even do such a simple thing as hug someone. You have to be really brave to visit someone who changes every time you see them because after all, you still love them like I love my grandma. It's just painful to watch them slip away. I miss the old days, the days before my grandma was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

My grandma always predicted my future (she might not remember it), but she always wanted me to open a shop beside Your Jeweler (my father-in-law's store). She was such an inspiration to me!

Have you been affected by Alzheimer's in your family? Please join us on Saturday, September 26th at Carbondale Community High School at the Frank Bleyer Field. Registration at 8:30am. Ceremony at 9:30am. Walk at 10:00am. Route Length: 3.2 miles.

To join or donate to the Eccentrics Team, click this link here: http://act.alz.org/site/TR/Walk2015/IL-GreaterIllinois?team_id=294804&pg=team&fr_id=7472

XO,

Lauren