A Walk to Remember
There are millions of people that suffer from a silent disease. Sometimes, when people suffer from a serious accident, they lose some of their mobility. Luckily, in many cases there is hope of learning new ways to get around, or with emotional support, one can overcome the initial shock and mentally get back to being one’s self. However, Alzheimer’s Disease is often described as the disease where you don’t lose a limb, or the merely the ability to dance the polka, or ride a roller coaster….you lose yourself.
Did you know that every 71 seconds, someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It is not just a case of “forgetfulness,” but among the top 10 causes of death in the United States. Some may think that it is a very new phenomena and something must have changed in our environment to cause this. On the contrary, I believe that it has been around longer than we know. I worked in a funeral home’s office for a short time as a college student. One day, we came around some eighty year old records, and in many cases, cause of death was listed as “senility.” I highly suspected that some of these folks could have suffered from Alzheimer’s. It was just not a recognized condition at that time.
Throughout this summer and fall, you can participate in the Alzheimer’s Memory Walk to raise awareness and raise money for this heartbreaking condition. The walk may start at various places all over the country, but the destination is the same: a world without Alzheimer’s. On their site, you can search for local walks. Once you find one, you can even click below to start your own team:
The walk also benefits you. Not only can you feel good about lending a helping hand, but walking and other regular moderate exercise decreases your risk of many diseases. Make it a family affair and start a tradition.
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